Objective: To develop and implement an intervention for problem alcohol and substance use among student athletes at a large Midwestern department of intercollegiate athletics in the USA, by use of screening, a brief intervention, referral to treatment (SBIRT) and motivational interviewing (MI). This paper outlines the development of the protocol, the way in which athletic staff members were trained to conduct SBIRT/MI interventions with student athletes who screened positive on the ASSIST screening tool, and the initial fidelity assessment used to demonstrate levels of athletic-staff learning and retention of the process.

Design: The developmental phase of the project used focus groups. Athletic staff members were trained by a clinical psychologist, during two face-to-face sessions. The recorded practice sessions with student actors were assessed for adherence to project protocols and MI principles.

Setting: This study was conducted at a large Midwestern university in the USA.

Method: Four focus groups were held with a total of 29 individuals from distinct segments of the athletics department. Five athletic staff members were trained in SBIRT/MI. Each staff member completed between 4–8 practice sessions with student actors, which were later assessed for implementation fidelity.

Results: In pilot testing with student actors, staff achieved "good" (µ ≥ 1.5 on a scale of 0–2) performance ratings on the majority of protocols and displayed mixed, but generally positive abilities to utilize MI techniques while avoiding MI-inconsistent behaviors.

Conclusion: A relatively short training sequence can adequately prepare non-clinical staff members in an athletics department to be ready to deliver a SBIRT/MI-driven protocol to any future at-risk student-athletes identified by drug and alcohol screening.