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
Zahrah Surratt -, Research Assistant, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
Co-Authors
Robert Sterling, PhD
Gary Davis, MD
Rikki Patton, PhD, Research Professor, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
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.