Ben Gurion University
Spitzer Department of Social Work
Regional Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Center
“Activities Overview”
2013-2014
The Regional Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research (RADAR) Center, Spitzer Department of Social Work, Ben Gurion University conducts education, training and research contributing to informed policy and prevention/treatment program decision-making. The Center targets the needs of youth and young adults, women, immigrants, the elderly and others throughout the region including people in rural and remote areas.
Since 1995, the RADAR Center has promoted cooperation with the US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), US Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, US Agency for International Development, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Israel Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, Education and Social Services, and major universities in the United States and Europe.
During the past year, the following reflects the nature and scope of RADAR Center activities:
the RADAR Center is addressing Middle East region substance use issues and concerns with the University of California, Los Angeles; New York University; Rutgers University; the University of Hamburg (Germany); State University of New York – New Paltz; University of Guelph (Canada); La Trobe University (Australia); and University of Hong Kong;
the RADAR Center, in cooperation with the Rutgers School of Law (Newark) and the Ben Gurion University Community Action Program, is promoting a multi-year international exchange of faculty and students addressing the needs of high risk children and families including substance use prevention;
the RADAR Center, in cooperation with the State University of New York – New Paltz, Institute for Disaster Mental Health (IDMH), is promoting a multi-year international exchange of faculty and students addressing the needs of underserved people in emergency conditions;
the RADAR Center and IDMH, with US Agency for International Development support, conducted a regional workshop on psychological first aid for underserved people in the Middle East region;
RADAR Center personnel are conducting academic courses and workshops providing knowledge and awareness of current alcohol and drug use/abuse issues. Specifically, courses address general knowledge of substance abuse prevention and treatment as well as gambling and other compulsive problem behaviors, drug prevention/treatment services evaluation, drug policy, and drug problems among immigrant populations;
The United Nations has published RADAR Center research Former Soviet Union Immigrant Women: Drug Use Profiles and Special Needs in its international book titled “Promoting a Gender Responsive Approach to Drug Addiction”.
RADAR Center research Acculturation among FSU immigrant adolescents in Israel, was accepted for presentation and publication at the 4th International Scientific Conference of "Theoretical Problems of Ethnic and Cross-Cultural Psychology”, Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Smolensk University, Russia;
RADAR Center publications have been published in professional journals and books addressing issues of substance abuse among religious and secular high risk youth, school dropouts, former Soviet Union and Ethiopian immigrants, and young adults.
Assistance is being provided to the Mower Curriculum for the Prevention and Treatment of Addiction, Recanati Department of Nursing for education, training, research and international program development purposes.
Further information including details about opportunities for cross cultural research and faculty exchange should be sent to:
Richard Isralowitz, Ph.D.
Professor and Director
Regional Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Center
Spitzer Department of Social Work
Ben Gurion University
e-mail: Richard@bgu.ac.il