MOBILE, Ala., Feb. 26 -- University of South Alabama issued the following news release:

How do you catch behavioral health issues in their early stages, before they negatively impact people's lives? Dr. Kimberly Zlomke, professor of psychology at the University of South Alabama, has embarked on a three-year project, funded by a $1.35 million federal grant, to test a community-based answer.

The South Alabama HOPES: Health-Oriented Psychology Education for Substance Use Recovery project began in July. Among its many goals, the project trains psychology graduate students in a public-health approach called SBIRT - screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment.

"We're focused on meeting patients wherever they are," Zlomke said, "whe...