What is SBIRT?

The SBIRT Training Academy provides trainings in evidence-based practices, such as Screening, Brief Interventions, Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI) to clinicians and health professionals both locally and nationally. The Academy additionally provides coaching and consultation services to agencies engaging in implementation efforts around evidence-based practices. Academy faculty has worked in a variety of clinical settings including community health centers, veteran health services, hospitals, and outpatient settings for older adults and individuals with developmental disabilities.

Training content can be customized for:

• Provider type (e.g., physician and nursing staff, paraprofessionals, behavioral health and social service professionals)
• Administrative staff
• Patient populations (e.g., adolescents, older adults)
• Diverse settings (e.g., community organizations, behavioral health settings, criminal justice settings, universities)

Why SBIRT?

SBIRT treats substance use as a continuum — not a yes/no diagnosis. It gives every provider, in every setting, a structured way to ask, listen, and act.

• Universal screening with validated tools (AUDIT, ASSIST, CRAFFT, TAPS)
• Patient-centered, motivational conversations — not lectures
• Works in primary care, dental, behavioral health, and school settings
• Billable: Connecticut Medicaid & CMS cover SBIRT services