Evaluating Web-Based Training for Employee Assistance Program Counselors on the Use of Screening and Brief Intervention for At-Risk Alcohol Use

Abstract

This article assesses a Web-based training for Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counselors on screening and brief intervention (SBI) for at-risk alcohol use. The training had four learning objectives: (1) increase counselors' awareness and sense of importance of at-risk drinking as a health behavior, (2) increase their sense of preparedness to deliver the brief intervention, (3) increase their sense of self-efficacy in helping clients with health behaviors, including at-risk drinking, and (4) increase their perceptions of the efficacy of counselors in general in dealing with health behaviors, including at-risk drinking. Results show increases in counselors' recognition of health behaviors as important, in their sense of preparedness to help clients with health behaviors, and in their sense of self-efficacy in dealing with health behaviors but no change in counselors' perceptions of the efficacy of counselors in general. These results suggest that Web-based training is an effective mode for teaching EAP counselors.

KEYWORDS:

• alcohol use
• brief intervention
• screening
• web-based instruction

Funding for this work was provided by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Grant 1-r01-aa013925-01a2. We would like to thank Georgia Karuntzos, NEAS, and all the counselors who participated in this study. We would also like to thank Susan Murchie for editing support.

Notes

^a There are 62 counselors in the analysis sample. Not all demographic and clinical data were complete for every counselor.

Note. Sample size is 62 counselors clustered within 26 affiliate offices. Significance tests control for clustering at the affiliate level.