Project Status

PA SBIRT Project Sites

The PA SBIRT initiative has partnered with nine (9) healthcare sites in Pennsylvania. EMPOWER360 Center for Health, Altoona Family Physicians, and UPMC Pregnancy Care Center are located in Blair County. Forbes Family Medicine, Crafton Medical Center, AHN Morningside, and AHN Downtown are located in Allegheny County. Sharon Medical Group and Greenville Community Health Center are located in Mercer County.

Data last updated July 1, 2021:

  • EMPOWER3 Center for Health began SBIRT implementation on March 6, 2017, and has since completed 20,914 screenings, provided 1,460 brief interventions, and connected 540 patients to treatment. This healthcare site provides services to approximately 2,000 patients.

  • Sharon Medical Group began SBIRT implementation on September 5, 2017, and has since completed 12,020 screenings, provided 1,765 brief interventions, and connected 58 patients to treatment. This healthcare site provides services to approximately 1,500 patients.

  • Altoona Family Physicians began SBIRT implementation on June 11, 2018, and has since completed 28,476 screenings, provided 1,559 brief interventions, and connected 104 patients to treatment. This healthcare site provides services for approximately 6,500 patients.

  • UPMC Pregnancy Care Center began SBIRT implementation on June 11, 2018, has since completed 7,211 screenings, provided 420 brief interventions, and connected 286 patients to treatment. This healthcare site provides services to approximately 400 patients.
  • Forbes Family Medicine began SBIRT implementation on May 29, 2019, has since completed 11,819 screenings and provided 370 brief interventions, and connected 38 patients to treatment.
  • Greenville Community Health Center began SBIRT implementation on January 8, 2020, has since completed 1,969 screenings and provided 26 brief interventions, and connected 3 patients to treatment.
  • Crafton Medical Center began SBIRT implementation on April 1, 2021, has since completed 890 screenings and provided 32 brief interventions, and connected 3 patients to treatment.
  • AHN Primary Care Downtown began SBIRT implementation on April 5, 2021, has since completed 279 screenings and provided 16 brief interventions, and connected 2 patients to treatment.
  • AHN Primary Care Morningside began SBIRT implementation on April 2, 2021, has since completed 826 screenings and provided 31 brief interventions, and connected 6 patients to treatment.

Success Stories

A patient had been using her partner’s suboxone when she found out she was pregnant. The patient scored in the referral to treatment range for suboxone and cannabis use was assessed by the Care Coordinator and is currently attending outpatient treatment. The patient recently gave birth and is interested in becoming a Certified Recovery Specialist to help others with similar experiences. The patient is very thankful for the SBIRT program and meets with the Care Coordinator at every visit.

A patient did not reveal 15 years of substance use (opiates and heroin) until her 5th screening at EMPOWER3. She remarked that she began to feel more comfortable over time, and realized that the office was truly concerned with providing her the best healthcare possible. Previously, she had been scared by legal consequences and confidentiality issues. After repeated screenings, she felt the conversation was normalized and that she wasn’t being judged or pressured, and she was able to open up about her use. Her provider noted that nothing in her medical or social history would have otherwise prompted this conversation. She has been enrolled in MAT and has not relapsed for 7 months.

A Sharon Medical Group patient shared “I was just talking to my son about my alcohol use yesterday. I know I need to cut back. I am so thankful for this [SBIRT] today. This is another sign that it is time for me to get healthy and take my use [alcohol] seriously. I am thankful that there are programs like this that help intervene.” The patient scored in the brief treatment range for alcohol use, was assessed by the Care Coordinator and is now enrolled in a 1A-Outpatient level of care.

Testimonials

“The partnership with UPMC Pregnancy Care Center is very exciting. Nationally, it is recommended that the physical health system be trained on the identification of behavioral health issues.  The Pennsylvania Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment grant has accomplished this important strategy and PCC has been successful in integrating this model. [Altoona Family Physicians] and Healthy Beginnings have been successful in integrating this model and most importantly, they are targeting a very high risk population within the pregnancy care clinic.”
Judy Rosser, Blair Drug and Alcohol Program's Executive Director
Pennsylvania Single County Authority

“The SBIRT program at our practice has enabled us to screen patients who otherwise would not have been screened and has allowed patients to access services they otherwise would have not had access to.  Providing SBIRT services has been an eye-opening experience for both practitioners and patients.”
Dr. Zane Gates, MD, Co-founder of EMPOWER3 Center for Health
Primary Care Office

“Utilizing SBIRT in our practice has created a sustainable and organized approach to engage our patients about drugs and alcohol.  By engaging every patient, at every visit a dialogue and rapport have been developed with many patients that may have otherwise been eschewed and allowed issues around drug and alcohol to be viewed in context of the whole patient.  Primary care is one of the frontlines in the otherwise asymmetric landscape of the opioid crisis, creating a method to engage patients in an empirically effective way has been invaluable.”
Vince Capone, PA-C of EMPOWER3 Center for Health
Primary Care Office

“We are pleased about the SBIRT project in our county and the accomplishments thus far.  It is my hope that substance abuse screenings can be implemented in every single primary care office, not only in Mercer County and Pennsylvania, but Nation-wide…”
Tracy Bornick, Central Intake Coordinator at Mercer County Behavioral Health Commission
Pennsylvania Single County Authority

Quarterly Newsletter

On a quarterly basis, the PA SBIRT initiative circulates a quarterly publication dedicated to the PA SBIRT initiative. This newsletter features progress reports, quarter recaps, PA SBIRT Project Site spotlights, and more. We hope that you find this information helpful and encourage you to share!

Monthly Report

On a monthly basis, the PA SBIRT initiative circulates a monthly report. The purpose of the report is to outline key findings and recommendations based upon GPRA analyses for the PA SBIRT initiative as of the end of each month. The latest issue of the Monthly Report is provided through the link below:

June 2021 Monthly Report

GPRA Data

GPRA stands for Government Performance and Results Act. Since funding for the project is granted through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), PA SBIRT is required to collect GPRA data. All data is collected and reported in accordance with the Government and Performance Results (GPRA) Act of 2010. Up-to-date GPRA data can be found below.

The PA SBIRT initiative is committed to following up with 10% of patients who score in the BI, EI, or RT ranges. CSAT requires grantees to conduct a 6-month follow-up interview with at least 80% of these patients. Six-month follow-up interviews can be conducted between 5 and 8 months after initial patient intake. The purpose of these follow-up efforts is to measure changes in patients’ substance use behaviors after receiving SBIRT services.

As of July 1, 2021, there have been 3,006 patients eligible for participation in follow-up, of which 312 (10.38%) have been recruited. There have been 276 patients within the interview window (5-8 months), and 248 interviews (89.86%) have been conducted to date. This is above the minimum 80.0% follow-up rate.


Last modified: Wednesday, July 28, 2021, 2:18 PM