Mission

The Army Substance Abuse Program mission is to strengthen the overall fitness and effectiveness of the Army´s workforce, to conserve manpower and enhance the combat readiness of Soldiers.

Objectives

  • Increase individual fitness and overall unit readiness.
  • Provide services which are proactive and responsive to the needs of the Army´s workforce and emphasize alcohol and other drug abuse deterrence, prevention, education, and rehabilitation.
  • Implement alcohol and other drug risk reduction and prevention strategies that respond to potential problems before they jeopardize readiness, productivity, and careers.
  • Restore to duty those substance-impaired Soldiers who have the potential for continued military Service.
  • Provide effective alcohol and other drug abuse prevention and education at all levels of command and encourage commanders to provide alcohol and drug-free leisure activities.
  • Ensure all personnel assigned to ASAP staff are appropriately trained and experienced to accomplish their missions.
  • Achieve maximum productivity and reduce absenteeism and attrition among civilian corps members by reducing the effects of the abuse of alcohol and other drugs.
  • Improve readiness by extending services to the Soldiers, civilian corps members, and Family members.

Services:

PRIME For Life is an alcohol and drug program for people of all ages. It is designed to gently but powerfully challenge common beliefs and attitudes that directly contribute to high-risk alcohol and drug use. The program goals are to reduce the risk for health problems and impairment problems by:

A primary goal of PRIME For Life is prevention of any type of alcohol or drug problem. This includes prevention of health problems such as alcoholism, or impairment problems such as car crashes or fights. Emphasis is on knowing and understanding risks one cannot change and reducing risks one can change.

Many people who attend a PRIME For Life program already show signs of alcohol- or drug-related health or impairment problems. PRIME For Life is designed to effectively interrupt the progression of use with these audiences. PRIME For Life’s intervention component focuses on self-assessment to help people understand and accept the need for change. Intensive prevention services, counseling, or treatment may be necessary to support these changes. For those who already need treatment, the program serves as pre-treatment and support for abstinence.

Using a persuasion-based approach, instructors use a variety of delivery methods, including interactive presentation and small group discussion. Participants use workbooks throughout the course to complete a number of individual and group activities. Material is presented using a DVD platform with animation, full-motion video clips, and audio clips to enhance the learning experience.

Several themes run throughout PRIME For Life. The first is an emphasis on the reality that while all of us can influence another person's drinking choices to some degree, none of us can directly control those choices. Therefore, the program is designed to maximize the influence of helping professionals, instructors or family members.

Second, PRIME For Life is based on objective, documented research findings, not opinion, exaggerations or scare tactics. Credibility (of program and instructor/counselor) is a key factor in initiating and maintaining behavior change. Instructors are trained to master the program to maximize program impact.

Third, PRIME For Life focuses on information that is needed to bring about behavior change. In fact, a casual observer might conclude that the program places too little emphasis on process and that there is too much information for the typical participant to remember. Participants are not expected to remember the details of the research cited. The content is only one of the tools used in the persuasion process. What participants will remember are the critical conclusions that come from hearing the information: Who can experience alcohol or drug problems? How do I estimate biological risk? How do I know what low risk is and how far have my alcohol and drug choices progressed? They remember the information they can use, even if some do not use it right away. The carefully selected, research-based information also provides the credibility needed to promote change.

Call 254 618-7446 for specific training dates or for more information.

Unit Training:

IAW AR 600-85, all Soldiers will receive a minimum of 1 hour of alcohol and drug awareness training annually. This is the Commander’s responsibility.

Training sessions for individual units can be arranged through the ASAP Prevention Coordinator @ 254 618-7446. If no ASAP staff member is available to conduct the training on the requested date, the unit's UPL(s) will be provided with the necessary training materials/resources for the class.

Classes include:

  • Alcohol, PowerPoint and Lesson Plan
  • Marijuana (THC), PowerPoint and Lesson Plan
  • Cocaine, PowerPoint and Lesson Plan
  • Amphetamines, PowerPoint and Lesson Plan
  • Delta 8 and Kratom PowerPoint
  • ASAP Overview, PowerPoint and Lesson Plan
  • GHB, PowerPoint and Lesson Plan
  • Methamphetamine, PowerPoint and Lesson Plan
  • Upon completion of class, hand carry or email the sign-in roster to ASAP at 254 618-7446 or your unit will not get credit for completed training.

Unit Training at Phantom Forge Center:

  • With subject matter experts on hand, the ASAP Prevention Team is deeply involved, with skits, training and instructions at the Phantom Forge Center which will count as credit for your annual training. The actors and speakers have all been trained by our staff to provide the most up to date interactive training.

Other Interactive Training Available:

  • Pedal Bicycles, with beer goggles, ecstasy, meth, weed, and prescription drugs
  • Pedal carts with beer goggles, ecstasy, meth, weed, and prescription drugs
  • Corn hole with beer goggles, ecstasy, meth, weed, and prescription drugs
  • Virtual reality interactive simulator headsets
  • Virtual reality game simulators full size and computer versions.

All items have to be signed out or escorted by the unit PC.