About

Our Grant

Collaborative SBIRT Training for Maine’s Future Health Profession Leaders is a three-year grant totaling $870,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The first of its kind to be awarded in Maine, this grant utilizes an interprofessional approach to the development and implementation of training programs to teach UNE students across eight health professions (Osteopathic Medicine, Dental Medicine, Nursing, Physician Assistant, Dental Hygiene, Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Pharmacy) the skills necessary to provide evidence-based screening and brief intervention as well as referral to treatment for patients who are at risk for a substance use disorder (SUD). Additionally, the training will develop the leadership skills needed in order to champion the implementation of SBIRT throughout our health care system with the ultimate goal of helping clients around substance use disorders. The project’s goals are to develop and implement a student SBIRT training program; advance the adoption and practice of SBIRT throughout Maine’s system of care; and reduce behavioral health disparities among racial, ethnic, sexual and gender minorities by strategies to decrease difference in access, service use and outcomes.

Objectives for UNE students are to

  • Implement curricula to teach 1,600 students how to implement SBIRT
  • Nominate 20% to become Student SBIRT Leaders who will receive interactive skills, leadership and teamwork training
  • Support students to implement SBIRT in their Maine clinical placements.

Objectives for 64+ Maine practitioners annually are to

  • Develop a cohort of SBIRT trainers who are qualified to train other trainers
  • Train Maine preceptors and other health practitioners to implement SBIRT
  • Sponsor 16 as SBIRT Ambassadors
  • Develop an online learning collaborative and a web-based clearinghouse to improve Maine practitioners’ access to information about
    • Culturally and linguistically appropriate services
    • Ways to reduce disparities in SUD and behavioral health treatment access, use and outcomes 
    • Helping SBIRT Ambassadors to integrate SBIRT SUD interventions into their clinical practice

Grant Activities

  • Training for Faculty
  • Curricular Integration across 8 Health Professions
  • Additional Training for Student Leaders
  • Training for Clinical Faculty and Field Instructors/Preceptors
  • Clinical Integration during Rotations
  • Web-based Resources
  • Sustainability