In 2005, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (SAMHSA/CSAP) contracted McFarland & Associates to develop a program to coordinate the development of peer-led, culturally and age-appropriate prevention services to reduce the risk of substance abuse and HIV on minority campuses across the country. McFarland created the MEI Program Coordinating Center (PCC).

The MEI effort included Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCUs); Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Tribal Colleges/Universities (TCUs). MEI-PCC provided a range of services to CSAP and the institutions in coordinating this initiative, including:

• Subcontract Award and Management
• Program Development & Design
• Training & Technical Assistance
• Evaluation Guidance
• Research & Information Dissemination
• Transfer of Technology
• Infrastructure Development
• Project Presentations & Publications
• Project Sustainability

The MEI-PCC worked with 20 minority-serving institutions. The projects were responsible for providing peer-led prevention education interventions, including educational sessions, health promotion events, media outreach/awareness activities, and HIV testing. The schools included:

HBCUs

• Alabama A&M University,  AL
• Bowie State University, MD
• Fisk University, TN *
• Florida A&M University, FL *
• Howard University, DC
• Mississippi Valley State University, MS
• Prairie View A&M University, TX
• Savannah State University, GA
• Southern University at Baton Rouge, LA
• University of the Virgin Islands, VI
• Virginia Union University, VA
• Winston-Salem State University, NC

HSIs

• North Eastern Illinois University, IL
• New Mexico State University, NM
• Rio Hondo College, CA
• University of Texas in El Paso, TX
• University of Texas in San Antonio, TX

TCUs

• Salish Kootenai College, MT
• Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, NM
• Wind River College, WY

RESULTS
The impact of the MEI Initiative was evident in the number of minority college students who received prevention education and services. The data collected also indicated a significant decrease in the number of drug- and alcohol-related incidents and arrests on these campuses. Combined, these colleges/universities achieved the following:

• More than 700 student peer educators (SPEs) trained.
• These SPEs conducted over 1,500 peer-led Substance Abuse, HIV, and Hepatitis educational workshops/sessions.
• Approximately 1,200 students received HIV testing.

If you would like more information regarding this contract please contact us at:

(301) 589-0780
Fax: (301) 589-2567
Email: info@mcfarlandassociate.com