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BrainAbouts: Empowering Positive Choices & Developing Healthy Brains

Informed by the latest brain research and prevention science tools, BrainAbouts® empowers students, caregivers, and school faculty members to learn about and openly discuss difficult topics, like drug and alcohol use, as a team. With BrainAbouts, schools can attain systemic change through the ease of our online learning environment known as The Core. Dr. Crystal Collier, in partnership with JFJC, designed the BrainAbouts Core to be a turnkey tool for counselors, a go-to resource for parents, an activity generator for students, a pre-integrated curriculum for teachers, and a statistics tracker for school administrators.

Explore The Core

The Goal

We’re aiming big! Our goal is to help every student in America avoid high-risk behaviors and learn the skills to make safer choices throughout their lives. BrainAbouts’ evidence-based online platform, combined with consistent and comprehensive programming in schools and at home, has the power to influence millions of young people and the adults in their lives over the next decade.

BrainAbouts High-Risk Behaviors

BrainAbouts focuses on 18 high-risk behaviors that youth struggle with today and targets specific social and emotional skills that students need to resist them.

Binge Drinking

The majority of students in high school that have tried alcohol choose not to engage in binge drinking. However, 61% of youth who drink underage admit to binge drinking.

Eating Disorders & Body Image Issues

By age six, children (especially girls) begin to feel worried about their body weight and shape. Research indicates the more time youth spend on social media, the more their negative feelings about their body increase.

E-Cigarettes & Vaping

Evali is a respiratory illness caused by vaping nicotine and/or marijuana e-liquid resulting in cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, congestion, nausea, increased heart rate, and death.

Pornography

Pornography rewires the brain by increasing dopamine levels higher than natural rewards. 10% of internet searches by children under 13 are for pornography.

Technology Overuse & Addiction

Exposure to screens too young and overexposure to screens has been linked to attachment issues, obesity, sleep problems, cognitive deficits and many other adverse health effects. 35% of students admitted to using a cell phone to cheat.

Suicide

Although, it’s common for teens to have fleeting thoughts about suicide, when paired with depression, negative life events, or other risk factors, suicidal ideation become an indicator for suicidal attempts. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for adolescents.

See the full list of high-risk behaviors, skills, and topics covered in the BrainAbouts program. Read More

BrainAbouts in Action

From surveys that assess the prevalence of high-risk behaviors within a given school to faculty training sessions, every new BrainAbouts installation is meticulously curated to ensure age-appropriate and relatable lessons for its students.

When a school subscribes to BrainAbouts, their students, families, and faculty immediately have access to The Core’s full online collection related to a variety of high-risk behavior youth struggle with today. Programming is organized by tier level for counseling staff and faculty, neurodevelopment tools for parents, and calls to action for students.

BrainAbouts subscribers receive:

  • Pre- and post-school year surveys to assess the prevalence of high-risk behaviors and identify program priorities.
  • Access to the BrainAbouts Core, which includes topical monthly calendars, downloadable videos, engaging conversational handouts, and an abundance of resources.
  • Teacher and counselor in-service training.
  • Opportunities for in-person speaking engagements with Dr. Collier.

Bring BrainAbouts to Your School

Dr. Crystal Collier Headshot

Meet BrainAbouts Creator Dr. Crystal Collier

Crystal Collier, Ph.D., LPC-S, has been working with adolescents and adults suffering from mental illness, behavior disorders, and substance abuse since 1991. Dr. Collier has also worked extensively with schools and organizations to implement comprehensive prevention curricula. Her areas of expertise include adolescent brain development, prevention programming, parent coaching, addiction, family-of-origin work, and training new clinicians. Dr. Collier’s neurodevelopment prevention model was awarded the Prevention and Education Commendation from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. In 2020, she published her long-awaited prevention book, The NeuroWhereAbouts Guide: A Neurodevelopmental Guide for Parents and Families Who Want to Prevent Youth High-Risk Behavior.