About Us
SBIRT and PERU
Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is a comprehensive and integrated public health approach to the delivery of early intervention and treatment services through universal screening for persons with substance use disorders and those at risk of developing these disorders. Pittsburgh SBIRT (PGH SBIRT), hosted by PERU, is a national leader in substance use education, prevention, and treatment and has trained over 6,500 professionals to SBIRT proficiency across the country. PGH SBIRT employs an evidence-based implementation framework that includes training services and technical assistance to prepare healthcare professionals from diverse disciplines to make a positive impact in the lives of people they serve.
Current SBIRT Projects
ARTEMIS aims to ensure that every patient in our primary care clinics receives the right screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) services by the right providers every time."Funded by SAMHSA since 2018, the Allegheny Health Network Researching Treatment Effectiveness and Medical Integration through SBIRT (ARTEMIS) project is a five-year partnership between Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and PERU to implement SBIRT at two AHN primary care clinics in Allegheny County, PA. Through ARTEMIS, primary care clinics will increase quality, access, and reliability of substance use disorder and mental health treatment services. ARTEMIS will also evaluate patient outcomes, and conduct cost effectiveness and cost-benefits analysis to demonstrate SBIRT’s impact on patient care.
PCCD State Colleges is a two-year initiative funded by Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Alcohol and Other Drug Coalition is partnering with PERU on this initiative. This project aims to provide and implement the evidenced-based practice of SBIRT to address substance misuse and substance use disorders within the student-based health centers of two (2) PASSHE universities. Following implementation, the project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of SBIRT implementation, with an aim of expanding to all PASSHE universities.
Pennsylvania Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (PA SBIRT) is a five-year initiative granted through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) since 2016. PA SBIRT works with primary care sites across Pennsylvania including Sharon Medical Group, EMPOWER3 Center for Health, Altoona Family Physicians, UPMC Pregnancy Care Center, and Forbes Family Medicine. PA SBIRT strives to ensure that every patient in its primary care settings receives the right screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) services by the right providers every time. PA SBIRT is working to expand SBIRT services to additional sites across Pennsylvania. To date, the PA SBIRT Team has trained 138 healthcare professionals to proficiency and developed 10 SBIRT champions. Trained healthcare professionals include care coordinators, site champions, physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, medical assistants, and pharmacists. To learn more, please go to https://pasbirt.pharmacy.pitt.edu/
Funded by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation (NACDSF) since 2018, Project Lifeline provides SBIRT services in 7 community pharmacies in Blair County, PA. Project Lifeline aims to increase pharmacists’ role in the identification and treatment of substance use disorders among patients filling prescriptions for Schedule II medications.
Funded by Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) since January 2019, PCCD SAEDR USciences aims to provide and implement the evidence-based practice of SBIRT to address substance and opioid use disorders in 12 pharmacies in Philadelphia County, PA. The goal of this one-year initiative is to bring together community pharmacies to support implementation strategies to reduce opioid overdose within the community by providing naloxone and substance use disorder/opioid use disorder education and SBIRT training to pharmacist as well as facilitating patients' access to services.
Funded by the Washington County Drug and Alcohol Commission Inc. since April 2019, Washington & Greene County SBIRT aims to implement SBIRT in the emergency departments in Washington Health Systems at the Washington County and Greene County facilities for one year. The goals of the project include implementing SBIRT into the emergency departments of both hospitals to enhance the patient care.
Previous SBIRT Projects
Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Professional and Organizational SBIRT Implementation with Training (POSITive) project provided SBIRT training to medical, nursing, dental, and pharmacy students/residents. The project’s intent was to assess measurable changes in targeted attitudes, knowledge and evidence-based skills on SBIRT.
Funded by SAMHSA, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, and the Staunton Farm Foundation, the HCPCS Pilot Study analyzed healthcare and utilization costs for patients who received screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) in an emergency department setting.
Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Centers for Substance Abuse Treatment (SAMHSA CSAT) since October 2015, the TI-15s works to provide substance use education and training to healthcare professional students at Chatham University, University of the Sciences, Morehouse School of Medicine, Clark Atlanta University, and Kennesaw State University for 4 years. Specific goals of the project include training healthcare professional students in SBIRT practices and disseminate the SBIRT training throughout the schools and clinical practice sites.
Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) since 2016, the goal of the TI16 SBIRT student training grants is to prepare health profession students in the effective practice of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), in order to employ and promote SBIRT practice in the communities the students will ultimately serve. Over a period of three years, the Pittsburgh SBIRT: Training Health Professions Students to Conduct SBIRT project will train over 790 University of Pittsburgh Pharmacy, Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, and Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling students, and the Addiction Medicine Services (AMS) SBIRT– Student Training project will train 420 University of Pittsburgh Medical Students and Medical Residents. For more information on SBIRT training, please visit https://www.sbirt.pitt.edu/
Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF), and the Staunton Farm Foundation, Project Safe Landing compared outcomes between patients who received SBIRT services in Emergency Departments and those who did not. The project’s intent was to analyze the effects of SBIRT services provided in Emergency Departments on downstream health care utilization and costs.
The Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Medical and Residency Training (SMaRT) project was originally funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) in 2008. Over the course of five years, a total of 585 residents from nine distinct medical residency training sites in four healthcare systems were trained in the core curriculum of SBIRT for alcohol and drug use disorders. Additionally, 186 residents also completed a second level of training, applying SBIRT with special sub-populations.
Through PERU’s efforts, over 6,500 students, faculty, champions, and healthcare professionals across several disciplines have been trained to apply SBIRT in clinical settings.
PERU's SBIRT Project Partners
PERU’s SBIRT past and current SBIRT project partners include university, medical, and other health profession schools, local and state service coordination and provider agencies, and private health service providers.
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SMaRT
POSITive Project
SBIRT Training Grants
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Pennsylvania SBIRT
Project Lifeline
Additional SBIRT Trainings
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Pittsburgh SBIRT
Founded in 2015, Pittsburgh SBIRT is a leading SBIRT implementation and training center housed within the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy's Program Evaluation and Research Unit. Our vision is to prepare healthcare leaders to use the evidenced-based practice of SBIRT in preventing harmful or hazardous substance use among their patients. Pittsburgh SBIRT uses an effective, individually tailored approach to provide concierge-style SBIRT services to healthcare professionals, organizations, larger healthcare networks, and other interprofessional stakeholders. For an overview of SBIRT services, please see the Pittsburgh SBIRT Services Flyer.
Implementation Model
Pittsburgh SBIRT bases efforts on the Systems Transformation Framework (STF). This model uses a vision-focused approach to evaluate health system environments for maximized adaptation and growth potential. Technical assistance is anchored to key STF system health domains. Project partners experience an integrated continuum of involved and supportive guidance from initial needs assessment through post-plan implementation fidelity management. Pittsburgh SBIRT has implemented SBIRT in a variety of settings using this model including primary care, emergency departments, hospitals, pharmacies, physical rehabilitation facilities, schools, and universities.
Read more about the Systems Transformation Framework
Read more about Project Safe Landing
Read more about the Pennsylvania Project