All Scheduled Dates
This course will meet the following dates:
- Tuesday, May 20, 1:00pm-3:00pm
- Wednesday, May 21, 1:00pm-4:00pm
- Thursday, May 22, 1:00pm-3:00pm
Course Type
Multi-Session
Course Length
7 hours
QUESTIONS?
Email [email protected]
ATTENDANCE POLICY
We expect participants to attend all 3 course dates (7 hours total). Participants who attend all sessions will receive a certificate of completion.
Those who miss no more than 30 minutes of instructional time may receive a certificate of completion, at the Academy's discretion.
SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment)
Reimagining the Evidence-Based Practice to be More Person-Centered
DESCRIPTION
This three-part series will be a collaborative reimaging of the traditional SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment) framework through a critical, compassionate lens that centers client autonomy and recognizes the complex factors influencing substance use. Together we will challenge ourselves to move beyond conventional medical models, exploring how we might develop more nuanced approaches that acknowledge diverse experiences of drug use and pathways to change.
The series begins by examining screening practices with a critical eye toward their cultural limitations and potential biases, while introducing strength-based alternatives for assessing substance use patterns. In the second workshop, participants develop brief intervention skills infused with the Drug, Set, Setting framework to create more holistic, personalized conversations. The final session expands the concept of "treatment" beyond traditional services, helping practitioners support clients in identifying meaningful next steps aligned with their own goals and realities.
Throughout all sessions, participants will explore practical communication tools that foster autonomy, respect individual choice, and create space for client-directed change. This collaboratively reimagined SBIRT approach will aim to balance evidence-based practices with critical awareness of their limitations, offering a more inclusive, effective framework for supporting diverse populations.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
- Evaluate traditional screening tools through a critical lens, identifying their strengths, limitations, and potential biases
- Develop alternative conversation approaches that compassionately assess substance use patterns and risks
- Explore brief intervention techniques that incorporate the Drug, Set, Setting framework, allowing for more contextualized, autonomy-supportive conversations about substance use change
- Expand your understanding of "referral to treatment" to encompass diverse pathways to wellbeing
- Strengthen conversation skills to support people in identifying meaningful next steps that align with their unique needs, readiness, and goals
- Reflect on your current practices and biases related to substance use assessment and intervention
- Identify specific opportunities to implement more person-centered, culturally responsive approaches in your work
WHAT TO EXPECT
All participants in this course bring a wealth of knowledge and experience, from both their work and their lives (even if you don’t work in a traditional substance use program). While the facilitator will share information and frameworks, participants will be asked to actively bring their experience into the course. Additionally, participants will be asked to “try on” several Motivational Interviewing-based communication skills and reflect on how they these skills can enhance conversations with people who use drugs. We will use self-reflection and mindful sharing in the group to examine and transform beliefs and biases that may impact our work with people who use drugs.
Participants will be encouraged to have cameras on, to share actively both verbally and in chat, and participate in small and large group activities.
COURSE OUTLINE
Description
In this 2-hour workshop, we will critically examine traditional substance use screening approaches while exploring opportunities for more compassionate, conversational alternatives. Participants will explore the limitations of standard screening tools, particularly their medical model foundations and potential biases when used with diverse populations. Through interactive discussion and skill-building exercises, we will together imagine ways to engage clients in meaningful conversations that assess substance use patterns and risks while maintaining a strengths-based, autonomy-supportive stance. This session balances critical analysis with practical techniques. You will leave equipped to have conversations where you can gather necessary information about someone’s drug use while building trust and rapport, even from the first interaction.
Objectives
Participants will:
- Analyze the strengths and limitations of standard screening instruments, identifying potential biases and gaps across diverse populations and contexts
- Demonstrate conversational approaches to assessing substance use that maintain dignity, build rapport, and gather clinically relevant information, without relying solely on standardized questionnaires
- Practice framing questions about substance use in ways that normalize experiences, reduce stigma, and create psychological safety for honest disclosure
Description
In this 3-hour workshop we will work together to identify and explore options for conducting “brief interventions” that honor the complex interplay between drug properties, individual factors, and societal & environmental context. Incorporating the Drug, Set, Setting framework, participants will examine ways to facilitate conversations that explore not just what drugs someone uses, but how personal characteristics and social environments shape the experience and risk profile. Through open discussion, practice scenarios, and skill-building exercises, participants will experiment with communication techniques that foster intrinsic motivation while respecting client autonomy. You will develop a flexible intervention approach that can be tailored to diverse clients with varying needs, readiness levels, and cultural contexts.
Objectives
Participants will:
- Integrate the Drug, Set, Setting framework into the way you deliver brief interventions
- Help clients explore how drug effects interact with unique personal factors and the social and environmental context
- Apply motivational interviewing techniques, including reflective listening, affirmations, and open questions, to support autonomy and strengthen clients' intrinsic motivation for change
- Adapt brief intervention approaches for diverse client scenarios, demonstrating flexibility in addressing varying kinds of drugs, risk levels, cultural contexts, and individual readiness for change
Description
This final 2-hour workshop reimagines "referral to treatment" as a collaborative process of connecting clients with appropriate next steps that align with their unique goals and readiness—whether or not those include formal treatment services. Participants will explore a spectrum of supports beyond traditional addiction treatment, including harm reduction services, peer support, community resources, digital tools, and wellness practices. Through case discussions and resource mapping, practitioners will learn to work alongside clients to identify personalized pathways that build on existing strengths and address client-identified priorities. This session emphasizes creating meaningful connections that support client-directed change rather than focusing narrowly on abstinence-based program referrals.
Objectives
Participants will:
- Identify diverse sources of care, beyond traditional substance use treatment programs, including harm reduction services, peer support networks, and community-based options that address whole-person needs
- Demonstrate collaborative techniques for exploring client readiness, priorities, and preferences when discussing next steps
- Practice honoring client autonomy in the referral process
- Develop strategies for maintaining supportive connections with clients who decline formal treatment, identifying incremental steps and alternative pathways that align with clients' current goals and readiness for change
ELIGIBILITY
This course is designed for helping professionals who:
- work with people who use drugs, and
- seek to build a more compassionate approach that recognizes the complexity of drugs and the people who use them
This course will benefit people who already implement SBIRT or substance use screening tools, as well as others who want to provide effective support to people who use drugs. You do not need prior experience using screening tools, and do not need to work in a traditional substance use treatment program.
Academy courses are open to non-profit social and behavioral health care providers who deliver services in NYC. This includes community-based organizations, city and state agencies, mutual aid groups, and more.
HOW TO APPLY
Please apply here. Applications will close on 5/2/2025.
If you have questions, please email [email protected].
INSTRUCTORS
