SBIRT Implementation for Adolescents in Urban Federally Qualified Health Centers

Guided by Proctor's conceptual model of implementation research, the proposed study is a multi-site, cluster randomized trial to compare two principal strategies of SBIRT delivery within adolescent medicine. In the Generalist Strategy, the primary care provider delivers brief intervention (BI) for substance misuse. In the Specialist Strategy, BIs are delivered by behavioral health counselors. The 7 study sites, primary care clinics operated by a large, urban Federally Qualified Health Center in Baltimore, will be randomly assigned to implement SBIRT for adolescents using either the Generalist or Specialist strategies. Staff at each site will be trained in the assigned implementation strategy, and quarterly booster trainings will be provided during the implementation period. Implementation outcomes, including: penetration, costs/cost-effectiveness, acceptability, timeliness, fidelity/adherence, and patient satisfaction will be assessed during the 18-month-long implementation period using a complementary combination of administrative service encounter data, provider and patient surveys, and qualitative interviews. At the end of the active implementation period, all training and technical support activities will cease for 12 months in order to measure relative sustainability. The study will also examine the effectiveness of integrating HIV risk screening within an SBIRT model.