New Adolescent SBIRT Curriculum for Trainers, Educators, and Practitioners Just Released
Bethesda, MD, February 21, 2023 – The Adolescent SBIRT Initiative at NORC at the University of Chicago just released an updated and expanded Adolescent Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Curriculum. It will assist trainers, educators, and practitioners in seamlessly implementing adolescent SBIRT training with minimal effort. This curriculum was developed by NORC in partnership with Kognito and other organizations. As key members of an adolescent’s health care team, practitioners in the fields of nursing, social work, medicine, and interprofessional care have an obligation to help prevent and reduce substance use with their young patients.
Asking about substance use and discussing its impact can prevent many harmful effects to an adolescent’s developing brain and potential future. Asking about mental health and identifying risk early can prevent delay of services and supports. The Adolescent SBIRT Curriculum was created to help current and future generations of health care professionals learn the skills to have these essential conversations with adolescents and young adults about substance use and mental health.
“The Adolescent SBIRT Curriculum introduces health professionals to the SBIRT model as a way to learn from young people about their substance use, talk about what might motivate them to reduce or abstain, and help them develop and carry out a plan to do so."
“The Adolescent SBIRT Curriculum introduces health professionals to the SBIRT model as a way to learn from young people about their substance use, talk about what might motivate them to reduce or abstain, and help them develop and carry out a plan to do so,” said Tracy McPherson, principal investigator for NORC’s Adolescent SBIRT Initiative. “Because substance use opens the door to other risks, the curriculum provides guidance on how to ask about suicide, depression, and anxiety.”
The Adolescent SBIRT Curriculum is available now and comprises the following resources to use in varying combinations to accommodate needs for both live instruction and self-paced learning:
- 300+ page Adolescent SBIRT Learner’s Guide and companion slide decks
- Adolescent SBIRT Trainer’s Guide for virtual or in-person instruction
- Four-part on-demand educational series Using SBIRT to Talk to Adolescents about Substance Use
- State-of-the-art SBI with Adolescents and SBI with Adolescents: Comorbid Substance Use and Mental Health online simulation training programs
About NORC at the University of Chicago
NORC at the University of Chicago conducts research and analysis that decision-makers trust. As a nonpartisan research organization and a pioneer in measuring and understanding the world, we have studied almost every aspect of the human experience and every major news event for more than eight decades. Today, we partner with government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world to provide the objectivity and expertise necessary to inform the critical decisions facing society.
Contact: For more information, please contact Eric Young at NORC at young-eric@norc.org or (703) 217-6814 (cell).