Research Note—Online SBIRT Training for On-Campus, Satellite Campus, and Online MSW Students: Pre–Post Perceptions and Practice

ABSTRACT

Social workers are in an ideal position to address the need for increased access to screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) for substance use disorder. This pre–post study explores the effects of SBIRT education and training among social work students from three campus environments (traditional, online, and satellite). Results demonstrated that participation in online training was related to increased levels of confidence, sense of responsibility, and practice of SBIRT and a decrease in perceived barriers. On-campus students showed the greatest post-training gains in confidence to use SBIRT. Results suggest that SBIRT education and training is beneficial for students from various backgrounds and should be included in social work students’ core clinical practice curriculum.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, grant number [1 H79 TI025951-01], awarded to Mena daSilva-Clark.

Notes on contributors

Elizabeth Wacker

Elizabeth Ann Deaton Wacker, MA, is senior research associate at the Butler Institute for Families in the Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver.

Shauna Rienks

Shauna Rienks, PhD, is research associate professor in the Graduate School of Social Work and director of research and evaluation methods at the Butler Institute for Families, University of Denver.

Deborah Chassler

Deborah Chassler, MSW, is senior academic researcher and lecturer at the Boston University School of Social Work and faculty fellow for Boston University Diversity & Inclusion.

Eric G. Devine

Eric Devine, PhD, is assistant professor at the Boston University School of Medicine and director of the clinical studies unit in the Department of Psychiatry at Boston Medical Center.

Maryann Amodeo

Maryann Amodeo, PhD, LICSW, is professor emerita and lecturer at the Boston University School of Social Work.

Mena daSilva-Clark

Mena DaSilva-Clark, is assistant dean for Off-Campus and Online Programs at the Boston University School of Social Work.

Lena Lundgren

Lena Lundgren, PhD, is professor in the Graduate School of Social Work and executive director of the Cross-National Behavioral Laboratory, University of Denver.