Name
Poster 18 - Integrating SBIRT into University-Based Student Health: A Quality Improvement Initiative
Date & Time
Friday, October 17, 2025, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Location Name
Ballroom Lobby - 400 Level
Description

This quality improvement project focused on integrating Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) into a university-based student health center to promote early identification of substance use among college students. Through an iterative partnership between academic researchers and clinical leadership, the team transitioned from a research-led model to a sustainable, EHR-integrated universal screening process supported by staff training. This project will be presented as a poster session, offering an opportunity for attendees to engage with the authors during a live Q&A and discuss implementation strategies, challenges, and lessons learned.

Speakers
Margaret Dickinson LAPC, MS, Project Interventionist, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
Lauren Kairys LAPC, Drexel University,
Zahrah Surratt -, Research Assistant, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
Sharra Wile, Drexel University,
Rikki Patton PhD, Research Professor, Drexel University,
Margaret Dickinson Zahrah Surratt Rikki Patton
Co-Authors
Robert Sterling, PhD - rcs336@drexel.edu
Gary Davis, MD - grd52@drexel.edu
Tags
Quality improvement programs, SBIRT Model of Integrated Care, Substance abuse management
Session Type
Poster
Objective 1
Identify key barriers and facilitators to implementing SBIRT in a university-based student health center.
Objective 2
Describe an iterative, collaborative approach to building staff capacity and integrating SBIRT into pre-existing workflows at the university student health center.
Objective 3
Interpret preliminary screening outcomes to inform ongoing quality improvement efforts in behavioral health screening among college students receiving medical care at the university student health center.
Content Reference 1

Thoele, K., Moffat, L., Konicek, S., Lam-Chi, M., Newkirk, E., Fulton, J., & Newhouse, R. (2021). Strategies to promote the implementation of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) in healthcare settings: a scoping review. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 16(1), 42.

Content Reference 2

Fisher, S., Benner, K., Huang, H., & Day, E. (2024). Substance use screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment in urban settings: barriers and facilitators to implementation with minoritized youth. Journal of School Health, 94(4), 299-307.

Content Reference 3

Holden, J., & Simerson, D. (2023). Screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) by nurses to college students who use electronic cigarettes. Journal of American College Health, 71(5), 1361-1366.