The Redleaf Resources Student Assistance Program Model using BRRIIM, has been sustained for 28 years in the school district where it was first developed by Jan Ryan and Jim Rothblatt and has been replicated and adapted in other districts and Community-Based Organizations across California. 
BRRIIM has been adapted for adults as well as adolescents offering Substance Abuse Indicated Prevention Services both in public and private mental health and Substance abuse clinics. 
What follows is an outline of the evolution and development from the typical district site-based alcohol and drug intervention Student Assistance Program (SAP) to this simple, unique, centralized, strength-based, and cost effective SAP strategy that addresses any and all barriers to learning:
  • 1983: began as a vision of the Desert Sands Board of Education who asked five experienced counselors and administrators, including Jim Rothblatt, to set up a program to reduce youth drug and alcohol abuse.  The original program was based entirely upon volunteerism and had no paid staff. 
  • 1986 : District hired first paid staff person, Jan Ryan, as half-time Coordinator of the Chemical Awareness Network (CAN). 
  • 1991: Recognized as Point of Light  #474 by President Bush for Outstanding Volunteerism. 
  • 1994: Piloted case management as a key strategy for serving students and their families. 
  • 1995: Funded by two OCJP Grants, Drug Suppression and Gang Suppression to further implement case management and initiate a mentoring program. 
  • 1996: Implemented the Conflict Awareness Network to use the case management approach to intervene on violence related offenses as well as pilot student led Conflict Mediation in district high schools. 
  • 1998: Named one of Six Best Practices in the Western United States and presented at the Federal regional Office, San Diego, California. 
  • 1998-2001: Regional Access Project Mental Health Grant allowed an expansion of the Conflict Awareness Network into the district's five middle schools. 
  • 1999: The Chemical and Conflict Awareness Network strategies' names were changed to the Desert Sands Unified School District Student Assistance Program. 
  • 2001: Funded by the Department of Education by a Tolerance Education Grant. 
  • 2003: Recipient of the Betty Ford Center "Visionary Award" with "Special Recognition" to Jan Ryan & Jim Rothblatt. 
  • 2003: DSUSD SAP became the training headquarters for the aforementioned seven school districts with Jan Ryan and Jim Rothblatt as the county-wide trainers. 
  • 2006: Jim Rothblatt recognized by the National Association of Student Assistance Professionals as Student Assistance Professional of the year. 
  • 2006: Redleaf Resources enters into a partnership with the Betty Ford Institute to provide Technical Assistance for educators and community-based organizations in the three areas of prevention recognized by the Institute of Medicine: Universal; Selected; and Indicated. 
  • 2006 Redleaf Resources provides consultation and Technical Assistance to Riverside County Mental Health Substance Abuse Prevention and the Center for Allied Research Solutions (CARS).
 
The BRRIIM RR SAP Model is a centralized "prevention" strategy (e.g. "early intervention") that serves all students, their families and staff by individually addressing any concern for any student and any family.  This program began in 1983 and continues to evolve.  A school district and/or community, in effect, is able to reduce the size of the population served, down to one student and one family.  This multi-disciplinary approach provides and coordinates prevention and intervention services that utilize school, district and community resources through an ongoing evaluation of student, family and community strengths and needs.  Student behavioral interventions are referred through two paths: 1) suspensions for alcohol and/or other drugs, and/or suspensions for violence related behaviors; and 2) referrals from concerned persons, who include, but are not limited to self, staff, students, parents, agencies, community members, etc. for any concern that may interfere with the learning process or indicate a student may be at risk of some sort.The heart of this strategy is Indicated Prevention, BRRIIM, which is a time-tested, family-centered, structured, motivational interview and brief intervention strategy that creates the opportunity for the interviewer to develop a strong and trusted educational support team with the Participant and their family.  During this structured 90-minute 3-stage process, the interviewer and family are able to assess strengths and needs in the three nationally recognized educational domains of: 1) Academics; 2) Social/Emotional; and 3) Careers.  Using identified strengths of the student, parent, school-site and community, a Prevention Agreement is developed based upon mutual willingness that will address any and all identified needs.
There also exist strong ongoing collaborative relationships with a wide variety of community-based resources that include but are not limited to: public and private mental health clinics; Child Protective Services; law enforcement; probation; Boys and Girls Clubs; substance abuse treatment programs; the faith community; etc.
President Bush thanking Jim Rothblatt for his involvement with SAP and Point of Light #474.