Starting the Conversation Tools
The Starting the Conversation Series:
The Starting the Conversation (STC) series is a set of brief screening, counseling, and referral tools, primarily for use by healthcare providers with teens and adult populations. These unique tools help healthcare professionals to counsel their patients about behavior change and refer them to community resources for additional treatment and support. In addition to traditional healthcare settings, they can be used in worksites, schools, churches, and other community settings. The tools included in the series are listed below. All tools are available in both English and Spanish.
See samples of the Starting the Conversation tools in English and Spanish:
The Starting the Conversation tools are most effective when used as part of a system to deliver patient care. NC Prevention Partners teaches providers to incorporate the tools into routine patient encounters in a way that works for their office setting. A team approach involves the entire staff in addressing prevention. This helps to distribute roles and responsibilities so that counseling can be provided effectively and efficiently. At trainings conducted by NC Prevention Partners, participants learn how to use the Starting the Conversation tools to:
- Assess patient readiness to change behavior
- Provide brief counseling about behavior change
- Help patients set behavior change goals
- Refer patients to additional resources for treatment and support
- Track patient progress over time *
- Conduct follow-up at subsequent visits
*View more information about scoring the Starting the Conversation tools 
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How can you obtain the Starting the Conversation series?
1. Complete the Starting the Conversation Series Order Form to receive a digital version of the tools in .pdf format free of charge. For quick and easy service, we will send you the tools via an e-mail attachment and you can save them onto a CD. If you prefer, we can also save the tools onto a CD and mail it to you. You can then select an in-house or commercial printer and print according to your needs.
We can also customize the Starting the Conversation tools with your logo and/or contact information. There is a cost recovery fee associated with this service. See the Starting the Conversation Series Order Form for details.
2. Participate in a group print and get more for your money. The group purchasing model is attractive because pooling resources can lead to reduced printing costs for everyone. NC Prevention Partners would be happy to have others join our group when we plan a print. Contact Karen Clark if you are interested. If our printing schedule does not fit your time frame, consider organizing your own group.
Additional Notes:
- To use the Starting the Conversation series for research purposes, please complete the Research Agreement Form .
- To use the Starting the Conversation series outside of North Carolina, please contact us.
Contact Karen Clark at (919) 969-7022, ext. 217 with any comments or questions regarding the Starting the Conversation tools or the Prevention Rx training workshops.
