Joan M. Carlson

Effects and Durability of an SBIRT Training Curriculum for First-Year MSW Students

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based process for identification, prevention, and treatment of alcohol misuse. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an alcohol-focused training on first-year MSW students’ (n = 71) knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about SBIRT. Changes in item means were assessed using repeated-measures analysis of variance (critical α = .002). Data indicated a significant and strong main effect for training; perceived competence improved immediately and remained significantly higher 30 days posttraining. Other improvements included knowing what questions to ask patients, ease making alcohol-related statements, and believing that it is rewarding to work with at-risk patients.

If you teach it, they will screen: Advanced practice nursing students’ use of screening and brief intervention in the clinical setting

BACKGROUND In the United States, approximately 30% of adults drink at risky levels or meet the criteria for harmful or dependent alcohol use. Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) in primary care settings is indicated. This study assessed whether knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about SBIRT, evaluated after a three-part, mixed-methods training, predicted whether 21 family nurse practitioner (FNP) students screened for alcohol use during clinical patient encounters. METHOD After training, students completed a survey and documented implementation of SBIRT during their clinical practice-specific management courses. RESULTS FNP students who reported higher levels of perceived competence in their posttraining surveys were more likely to screen for alcohol in the clinical setting. CONCLUSION Screening for alcohol misuse and identifying patients engaged in hazardous drinking meet important nurse practitioner competencies. Further research is needed to explore training programs that specifically emphasize activities to increase perceived competence, knowledge, and comfort regarding SBIRT.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (Sbirt) Education for Medical Professionals

Introduction Alcohol and other substance use contribute to a major, preventable, international healthcare burden. The evidentiary bases for screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) for alcohol are well-established, while research on SBIRT for other substance use is ongoing. In the United States, funding for SBIRT education among medical professionals recently has expanded beyond physicians to include other healthcare providers such as nurses and social workers. Objectives This brief study measured characteristics of nurses, social workers, and physicians at the beginning of the first year of graduate education (nurses, social workers) or post-graduate year 1 (physician residents) to assess potential baseline differences in knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors related to SBIRT. Aims The aim of this study was to inform targeted modification of SBIRT education programs based on baseline differences between professions. Methods Participants (n = 81 [16 physicians, 27 nurses, 38 social workers]) completed a 36-item assessment of baseline behaviors (modified from Hettema et al., 2012) and knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes predictive of SBIRT performance (Gassman et al., 2003). Differences between groups were assessed using ANOVA and the Tukey or Games-Howell post-hoc test (contingent on homogeneity of variance). Results The study identified differences among professionals for 13 of 36 measured variables across several domains: SBIRT behaviors, beliefs about time utilization, satisfaction working with at-risk clients, self-efficacy, and perceived organizational resources. Conclusions Preliminary data suggest that SBIRT training for medical professionals might be improved by attending to specific differences among nurses, physicians, and social workers in several key areas.

‘Asking’ but Not ‘Screening’: Assessing Physicians’ and Nurses’ Substance-Related Clinical Behaviors

ABSTRACT Background: Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is a promising public health approach for problematic substance use. A core component of SBIRT is the use of formal screening tools to categorize a patients likely level of risk in order to provide an appropriately-matched service. Training in formal screening is included in many SBIRT training programs, but infrequently is emphasized. Objectives: To assess pre-training levels of SBIRT-related clinical behaviors, including screening, this study examined a secondary dataset collected from internal medicine residents and graduate nurse practitioner students. Methods: Learners (n = 117) completed 13 self-report items assessing use of SBIRT-related behaviors. Researchers used exploratory factor analysis to identify underlying concepts in the questionnaire, then used mixed ANOVA to compare mean frequency of utilization of each factor (asking, screening, and intervening) by academic program. Results: Learners reported asking about substance use frequently, intervening some of the time, and infrequently using formal screening tools. Interaction and between-academic-program effects were significant but small. Conclusions: Prior to SBIRT training, most clinical practitioners reported asking patients about substance use, but few reported regularly using formal substance use screening tools. This may have implications for the importance of SBIRT training as part of curricular work, and for the internal content foci of SBIRT curricula.

Military Social Work as an Exemplar in Teaching Social Work Competencies.

This article is for social work educators unfamiliar with military social work and receptive to a number of exemplars to enhance teaching strategies within their courses. Because examples of military social work are directly tied to the Council on Social Work Education competencies, this article offers a number of suggested teaching strategies regarding those competencies. By incorporating the exemplars into a range of courses as discussion points, students and faculty will become more aware of issues faced by military service members, veterans, and their families. The goal of this article is to alert social work faculty to the actuality that military social work is a rich teaching resource that can be mined to assist in most social work classes.