Article by Tenille Metti, Former Assistant Communications Manager
On December 5, 2013, we held the first annual convening for our Substance Use Prevention Strategic Initiative in Washington, D.C.: “Providing a Path towards Healthy Living: Emerging Lessons and Promising Approaches in Utilizing Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) for Youth.”
On December 5, 2013, we held the first annual convening for our Substance Use Prevention Strategic Initiative in Washington, D.C.: “Providing a Path towards Healthy Living: Emerging Lessons and Promising Approaches in Utilizing Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) for Youth,” The event brought together key leaders and stakeholders to review how the SBIRT model is being used with youth and young adults as well as to discuss the implications for current and future practice.
Each of the prominent speakers present at the event brought a wealth of expertise and insight, contributing to an engaging and thoughtful discussion throughout the day. Dr. Thomas A. McLellan, Chief Executive Officer of Treatment Research Institute (TRI), kicked off with a presentation on using SBIRT to strengthen the continuum of care for youth through early intervention. After reviewing TRI’s SBIRT research and implementation experience in both healthcare and school settings, he highlighted that the model must be flexible. It can then be adapted to different settings, adjust to the age of the youth or young adult, and accommodate different delivery approaches.
Dr. Sharon Levy, the Director of the Adolescent Substance Abuse Program at Children’s Hospital Boston and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, echoed similar sentiments in her presentation. Her research also demonstrates the need for ongoing investment in SBIRT research and practice. This will help the field understand the variations with which SBIRT may need to be delivered: These variations include the length of the Brief Intervention that is effective with youth and young adults, integration or linking of behavioral health professionals to primary care practices and other settings, and approaches to customizing workflows for the various settings.
During panelist sessions, speakers discussed a number of key issues related to SBIRT for youth and young adults. One session was led by the Director of the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Ken C. Winters, and Helen Whitcher, Senior Director at YouthBuild USA. Dr. Winters presented findings from his research on SBIRT in school settings, including improved outcomes for adolescents when their parents participated in the SBIRT program. Whitcher discussed results from YouthBuild’s implementation of a SBIRT pilot in 15 community-based YouthBuild sites across the country and explained how they adapted SBIRT to fit the needs of the youth in their community-based program.
Tym Rourke, Director of the Program Department and Substance Use Disorders Grantmaking at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation (NHCF), and Dr. Sandra Rose, the Director of Behavioral Health at Goodwin Community Health, spoke about advancing SBIRT for youth in New Hampshire. Rourke discussed NHCF’s commitment to advancing policy, practice and advocacy change to more effectively address adolescent substance use disorders. Dr. Rose spoke about implementing SBIRT in a federally qualified health center. Sarah Nerad and Benjamin Chin, Co-Founders of PTR Associates, brought a personal as well as professional aspect to the conversation. As young adults in recovery, their perspective brought to life the discussion about early intervention and prevention for adolescents, inspiring participants to think creatively about how they engage youth and young adults in their work. They also offered a series of recommendations for how prevention and early intervention approaches like SBIRT can incorporate youth-directed approaches and be an opportunity to partner with young adults in recovery.
The goal of the convening was to not only provoke discussion about how the SBIRT model is being used with youth and young adults, but also to provide an opportunity to share knowledge about promising implementation practices that integrate SBIRT into routine practice and help sustain it over time. Implementing sustainable SBIRT programs is a key component of the Foundation’s Strategic Initiative. To elevate that conversation, Marla Oros, President of Mosaic Group, discussed “Lessons from Cross-Site Implementation of SBIRT for Adolescents.” This session provided insight into Baltimore’s experience of implementing SBIRT in several settings and identified elements of their success that can be utilized by others.
Our first annual convening for our Substance Abuse Strategic Initiative set the bar high for future events. We hope we will inform current discussions about implementing SBIRT for youth and young adults, and help frame what is needed to improve prevention and early intervention approaches. In the meantime, we will continue to develop strategies to address the challenges and opportunities to expand access to SBIRT, and other prevention and early intervention initiatives. As the knowledge and evidence related to SBIRT continue to evolve, we will continue to share information about our progress and progress in the field.