Education and Outreach


Acquiring use of research methods

The Indiana Alcohol Research Center partners with researchers across the globe to provide selectively bred lines of rats and mice for alcohol studies. Center investigators have also developed the computerized alcohol infusion system (CAIS) for the administration of ethanol to prescribe and maintain blood alcohol concentrations within great experimental precision. 

Learn more about animal lines

Contact Marty Plawecki for CAIS

a map of sites collaborating with the Indiana Alcohol Research Center

Prevention in schools

faculty members in a classroomGoing 4 Goals is a nine-session skills group that is an adaptation of the Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) (Rathus, Miller, & Linehan, 2014) and DBT Skills in Schools: Skills Training for Emotional Problem Solving for Adolescents (DBT STEPS-A) (Mazza et al., 2016) manuals. The Going 4 Goals program has been implemented in school and community settings, occurring once a week during school/center hours, and lasting approximately 40 minutes (i.e., one class period). The primary objectives of G4G program are to teach youth core DBT-A skills in mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness, with the goal of increasing skills attainment and decreasing risk for youth substance use and risky behaviors.

If you are interested in implementing Going 4 Goals in your setting, please contact Tamika Zapolski, PhD.

ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes)

ECHO is a movement to connect local primary care teams with inter-disciplinary specialist teams to improve treatment for complex and chronic health conditions. ECHO uses technology to facilitate mentoring and knowledge sharing, enabling local primary care clinicians to provide best practice care for patients when they need it, close to home. Online Tele ECHO programs are freely available to all providers. Learn more about ECHO here.

The ECHO AUD program focuses on how to manage, treat, and provide the best care for individuals with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). The ECHO Adolescent SUD focuses on adolescent screening & assessment for substance use disorder (SUD), juvenile justice approaches to SUD prevention/intervention, psychotherapies for SUD, and more.

​Learn more about the Alcohol Use Disorder ECHO program and the Adolescent Substance Use Disorder ECHO program

Alcohol use disorder educational materials

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) have several resources linked below that can be used by individuals, groups, and agencies. Please check back for additional resources developed by the Indiana Alcohol Research Center, focusing on health care provider training and community education presentations.


The health care professional's core resource on alcohol

The Core Resource on Alcohol offers free CME/CE credit for 14 practical, evidence-based articles for health care professionals about alcohol and health, including foundational knowledge, clinical impacts, and strategies for preventing and treating alcohol problems.

Explore the Core Resource on Alcohol and earn free CME or CE credit

View evidence-based alcohol health care resources for health plan quality improvement leaders

The Provider’s Clinical Support System-Medications forAlcohol Use Disorder (PCSS-MAUD)

PCSS-MAUD is a national project organized by the American Society for Addiction Medicine to provide free, comprehensive training, guidance, and mentoring on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of AUD. PCSS-MAUD aims to enhance the capacity of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician associates/physician assistants, nurses, pharmacists, substance use disorder counseling professionals, and other healthcare professionals to treat individuals with AUD, including the use of Food and Drug Administration approved medications for AUD.

Learn more about The Provider’s Clinical Support System-Medications for Alcohol Use Disorder (PCSS-MAUD)

Communities Talk to Prevent Alcohol and Other Drug Misuse

Communities Talk to prevent alcohol and other drug misuse is an initiative sponsored by SAMHSA which focuses on alcohol and other drug misuse that negatively impacts communities and youth. The initiative provides prevention resources to community-based organizations, colleges, and universities.

Learn more about Communities Talk

Alcohol use in Indiana Youth

  • 30% of youth in Indiana use alcohol

  • 11% of youth in Indiana use alcohol in hazardous way, including binge drinking (drinking more than 4/5 drinks per drinking occasion for boys and girls, respectively)

  • Drinking impairs judgment, interferes with brain development and increases risk of injury and death

Download infographic

infographic shows prevalence of youth alcohol use, gender and racial trends, dangers and warning signs.