TIPS Training

TIPS for the University is a three-hour program designed to teach students to prevent intoxication, drunk driving and underage drinking among their peers. WPI’s Trainers are students who have completed a 10 hour Certification Training Program. This program addresses concerns specific to students, residence life, Greek organizations and all aspects of university life.

The course consists of three primary sections: Information, Skills Training and Practice/Rehearsal. At the end of the program, a multiple-choice exam is administered, which is sent to Health Communications, Inc. for grading and record-keeping. Students who pass the exam receive a certification card, valid for three years.

The TIPS for the University Program focuses on the following areas:

Information

The Information Section uses a video presentation followed by discussion to cover basic information about alcohol, its effects on people and effective intervention strategies. Some of the topics include:

This section is designed to present a full range of information necessary for a student to effectively prevent alcohol-related problems on or off campus. The topics cover a wide variety of information, from physiological effects to intervention techniques to legal responsibilities. This program tailors the information to the specific needs and concerns of students, student organizations and universities. More than an alcohol awareness program, TIPS for the University gives students information and skills necessary to intervene to prevent alcohol-related tragedies.

Skills Training

This section is presented in two parts: Evaluating Cues and Evaluating Responses. In each part, students are asked to view a short video scene, rate the scene according to a predetermined rating chart, and then explain what they saw in the scene and why they rated it the way they did. The purpose of this section is to develop participants' abilities to assess behavior and intoxication levels in their peers, and then determine appropriate responses to handle the situation.

Part 1: Evaluating Cues

Participants watch a series of short video scenes depicting students consuming alcohol on and off campus. Using the information from the previous section, they rate the behavior of the students in the video according to how intoxicated the person is or whether or not alcohol is being used responsibly. The group then discusses the ratings given for the vignette to identify what participants saw in the vignette to cause them to give a particular rating.

Part 2: Evaluating Responses

Participants watch a second series of video scenes, but this time they focus on how the intervening person in the scene handles the situation. Using the TIPS Intervention Guidelines and another rating scale, participants assign a score to the scene according to how effectively the intervening person responds to the students in question. Again, the group discusses their ratings to identify what participants saw that caused them to give a particular rating.

In each part, participants watch the first set of vignettes and discuss them as a group. They then rate an additional set of videos as a Self-Test and compare their ratings to the ones given by the program. The emphasis in this section is not necessarily for everyone to get the same rating, but to be able to justify the rating they chose based on what they saw in the vignette.

Practice/Rehearsal

This is the most important section of the program. Students take the information and skills they have learned in the course so far and put them to use. Through role-playing exercises, students demonstrate their ability to effectively intervene in difficult alcohol-related situations, using the guidelines and strategies they have learned in the program. Participants are encouraged to use past experiences for the exercise, or to choose a sample situation from the list provided in their manuals. Students receive feedback from both the Certified Trainer and the other participants on the intervention technique they use in the situation. This practice allows students to discover and develop their own skills and confidence to intervene with their peers.

For additional information on the TIPs Program, please visit the TIPs Web site or contact Gregory Snoddy at gsnoddy@wpi.edu or at x5800.

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Last modified: May 18, 2007 11:49:07