Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment

SBIRT

In the counties that our FQHCs serve, Philadelphia, Montgomery, and Berks, there is a high burden of Drug and Alcohol Use Disorders. In 2021, Philadelphia County's drug overdose rate was 78 per 100,000, a 10% increase from 2018.[1] Overall, in Pennsylvania there has been a 15% increase in drug overdose related deaths since 2019, demonstrating a direct need for substance abuse services and intervention.

In 2019, the Health Federation of Philadelphia received a 5-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for the SBIRT Project. The purpose of this project is to administer SBIRT services to adult patients of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) within the Health Federation of Philadelphia HRSA-funded network.

After launching with our first cohort in 2019, we quickly faced challenges and barriers to implementation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We were required to develop new systems and procedures that would easily allow for in-person and telehealth visits. To overcome these barriers, we purchased tablet technology for our HCs that administer pre-and full screeners that automatically populate within the patient's electronic health record (EHR).

Goals and Objectives

SBIRT, Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment, is an evidence-based and early intervention tool used as the standard of care in primary care settings.

This project aims to improve the health and well-being of individuals with alcohol and other substance use disorders by creating a sustainable process for SBIRT.

Through these initiatives, we have been able to stay on track to pre-screen 20,130 patients across our 6 FQHCs by the end of our grant period in 2024. We can then provide this graphic that outlines the pre-screening, full screening, and referral to treatment.

When our grant period ends in 2024, we aim to leave our HCs with a sustainable model that allows them to continue to engage in SBIRT activities through tablet technology, educational materials, and effective workflows. Through continued quantitative and qualitative data collection, we are able to present, discuss, and inform decisions we make with our health centers to optimize their performance and ability to provide the necessary services to their patients.