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CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Resilience Education along with Headquarters Marine Corps is implementing a new way of prevention when it comes to alcohol abuse.
Marines aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune now have the opportunity to attend either Prime for Life or Prime for Life for Leaders, a program designed to gently but powerfully challenge common beliefs and attitudes that directly contribute to high-risk alcohol and substance abuse.
The primary goal of the program is prevention of any type of alcohol or drug problem. Prime for Life content is carefully selected to help people reduce the risk for alcohol health and impairment problems throughout their life.
“We understand impairment issues – injuries, crashes and legal issues, but a lot of times we don’t think about the health issues,” said Robin L. Schoolfield, the Resilience Education branch manager.
The program’s nonjudgmental approach reduces resistance to the life-saving information presented in the program and increases Marines’ openness to change.
“It’s very self-guided in the way that the activities we do allow the participants to reflect on where they are and can see where they are with their relationship to alcohol,” said Schoolfield.
Instructors use a variety of delivery methods, including interactive presentation and small group discussion. Marines can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that none of the information is given to them via PowerPoint presentation. Material is presented using a DVD platform with animation, full-motion video clips and audio clips to enhance the learning experience.
The information is based on documented research findings rather than opinion, exaggerations or scare tactics. Credibility is a key factor in initiating and maintaining behavior change, Schoolfield added.
By basing the program on protecting, preventing and reducing risk for alcohol-related problems, Marines can gain a greater understanding of the tremendous power they have in recognizing the outcomes of their choices.
“It’s based on the formula that biology plus choices equal your outcome,” said Schoolfield. “It talks about alcoholism as a lifestyle-related health issue and it compares it to heart disease. If you want to avoid heart disease you reduce your intake of red meat. It helps make that mental bridge for alcoholism. It talks about biology a lot because a lot of people don’t understand their biological risk for alcoholism.”
Prevention Research Institute, Inc., a private, non-profit organization with a mission to reduce the incidence of alcohol related problems throughout the world, developed Prime for Life for a variety of target audiences including military personnel, parents, troubled youth, college students, employees and drinking driver offenders.
PRI is committed to the evaluation of program impact, and its risk reduction programs have shown positive behavior change in both internal and external studies.
“Emphasis is on knowing and understanding risks one cannot change and reducing risks one can change,” said Schoolfield.
For more information or to sign up for the next class, call Resilience Education at 451-2865.
| Date Taken: | 05.10.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 05.10.2012 08:43 |
| Story ID: | 88217 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 76 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Resilience Education implements new prevention methods for alcohol abuse aboard the base, by Cpl Miranda Blackburn, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
