The Alliance for the Economic Development for Southern West Virginia (Alliance) partners today announced the Alliance will coordinate multiple Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) trainings across its 21-county area. The first Appalachian SBIRT Training Summit is scheduled for Monday, April 2, at Bluefield State College.
The trainings are coordinated and conducted by The Alliance, with the efforts supported by a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) federal grant awarded to Marshall University. SBIRT promotes universal screening of all individuals to identify use, early risks and misuse in order to intervene appropriately. Marshall University is the only institution conducting these trainings in the state.
“SBIRT training is a federal model that is well respected throughout the behavioral health profession and Marshall University has customized this national model for the Mountain State,” said Marshall University President Jerome A. Gilbert, who is co-chairman of the Alliance. “The Alliance is acting as a facilitator and connecting communities with available resources, tools and expertise, helping to ensure that our community leaders in our southern counties have access to this vital training.”
The Appalachian SBIRT Training Summits are free and open to the public, but registration is required. Space is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Physicians, behavioral health care providers, school counselors and psychologists, dentists and dental techs, recovery coaches, the faith based community, health department professionals and community advocates are encouraged to attend.
Bluefield State College President Marsha Krotseng explains, “Bluefield State College is committed to advancing our students and communities throughout southern West Virginia. Hosting events such as the Appalachian SBIRT Training Summit in conjunction with the Alliance strengthens the resources available to the surrounding communities and gives them essential tools to help combat the substance abuse epidemic. Training key individuals to identify the early stages of substance misuse, and providing resources that are locally available can make a profound impact on the course of our region.”
Details for the Appalachian SBIRT Training Summit in Bluefield include:
April 2
Location: Bluefield State College, Tierney Auditorium – Dickason Hall
Time: 1–4 p.m.
To register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/appalachia-sbirt-training-summits-tickets-44422337407
“We are excited about the opportunity to provide SBIRT training in the state,” said Amy Saunders, director of the Marshall University Wellness Center and state coordinator for the trainings. “SBIRT is an established integrated health care model that helps health care and behavioral health care providers identify individuals who are using alcohol and drugs at risky levels and provide timely intervention to reduce negative consequences. Substance misuse is a health issue that goes often undetected and SBIRT provides us with an established public health model for early intervention, before more severe consequences occur from risky alcohol and drug misuse.”
The Alliance is a joint venture among West Virginia’s 10 southern colleges and universities to better connect the educational resources and workforce training offered in Southern West Virginia to promote the region, eliminate redundancies and share best practices, improve the quality of life for area residents, create jobs, keep West Virginia’s talent pool in the state and revitalize southern communities.
The Alliance partner institutions include: Bluefield State College, BridgeValley Community and Technical College, Concord University, Marshall University, Mountwest Community & Technical College, New River Community and Technical College, Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, West Virginia State University and West Virginia University Institute of Technology.
The Alliance is focused on a 21-county area, including Boone, Cabell, Clay, Fayette, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Putnam, Raleigh, Summers, Wayne, Webster and Wyoming counties.
For more information about the federal SBIRT program, visit https://www.samhsa.gov/sbirt or http://www.marshall.edu/wellness/sbirt.
To learn more about the Alliance, contact Sara Payne Scarbro at 304-696-2889 or sara.payne@marshall.edu.