Touro Receives National Grant

The Touro College Manhattan PA program was recently awarded a three-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) to train and educate students on the Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) approach to patient care. SBIRT is a method of early intervention and treatment for people (and those at risk) with substance use disorders.

This evidence-based screening protocol incorporates specific questions into patient interviews designed to detect and prevent substance use disorders. This SBIRT grant opportunity will enable Touro to integrate SBIRT training into the curriculum, preparing students with the tools necessary to identify such behaviors and facilitate positive behavior changes and appropriate referrals.

Over the course of three years, approximately 175 students will receive SBIRT training. Students will receive training in all phases of the program — didactic and clinical — allowing them to build upon their learned knowledge and skills of SBIRT. SBIRT training will also expand to offer Continuing Medical Education to program graduates, preceptors, and other health care professionals.