Implementation Challenges of SBIRT in Social Work Education and Practice: Perspectives of Students, Field Instructors, and Faculty

ABSTRACT

Social workers need training to address at-risk alcohol and drug use. Training in screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) occurs in social work education, yet little is known about training sustainability and implementation in practice. Thirty-one MSW students, field instructors (FIs), and faculty were interviewed 1 year posttraining to explore their use of SBIRT. Qualitative thematic analysis revealed three major themes: Training feedback, application and implementation barriers and facilitators, and future use and sustainability in practice. Feedback indicated further training needs to overcome institutional, agency-specific barriers and personal barriers. Given varied practice settings, SBIRT training with students and field instructors must be tailored to demonstrate agency-specific benefits and include booster sessions and ongoing consultation to address implementation barriers.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [Support for this project provided by SAMHSA [grant # 1U79TI025379].

Notes on contributors

Laura Ting

Laura Ting, PhD, is an associate professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Social Work Program.

Lindsay Emery

Lindsay Emery, PhD, is a psychologist in the Division of Psychology & Neuropsychology at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital, Baltimore, MD.

Paul Sacco

Paul Sacco, PhD, is an associate professor at the School of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore.