SAMHSA to Provide $3.75 Million to Train Medical Residents in SBIRT Techniques

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Date: 3/5/2008
Media Contact: SAMHSA Press Office
Telephone: 240-276-2130

SAMHSA to Provide $3.75 Million to Train Medical Residents in SBIRT Techniques

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is accepting grant applications for the Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment (SBIRT) Medical Residency Program. The primary purpose of this cooperative agreement is to develop and implement training programs to teach medical residents skills to provide evidence-based screening, brief intervention, brief treatment and referral to specialty treatment for patients who either have or are at risk for a substance use disorder. Another purpose of the program is to promote adoption of SBIRT through delivery of training to local and statewide medical communities for wider dissemination of SBIRT practices.

"This RFA is a visionary step forward in preventive medicine," said Dr. Bertha Madras, deputy director for Demand Reduction at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. "It offers medical educators an opportunity to train physicians in screening and brief intervention procedures for a full spectrum of substance abuse, from risky to addictive behaviors. The engagement of physicians in these preventive procedures can have a major impact on patients and on reducing healthcare costs associated with substance abuse."

About 95 percent of the people who have a diagnosable substance use disorder are unlikely to seek help from a treatment specialist, largely because they do not realize they have a problem. By encouraging health care professionals to identify at-risk populations and intervene early, the burden of substance abuse on individuals and families and on our social institutions can be reduced.

SBIRT Medical Residency Programs will train general medical physicians to provide SBIRT services and promote systemic change in residency programs by integrating SBIRT into the curriculum on a long-term basis. This program expects to establish SBIRT training as a component of residency programs in a variety of disciplines including family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, emergency medicine, trauma, psychiatry and others.

It is expected that approximately $3.75 million will be available to fund up to 10 cooperative agreements. The average annual award amount is expected to be $375,000 per year for up to five years. The actual award amount may vary, depending on the availability of funds. The cooperative agreements will be awarded by SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.

WHO CAN APPLY: Eligibility is open to domestic public and private nonprofit entities. (See Section III-1 of this RFA for complete eligibility information.) For example, state and local governments, federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native Tribes and tribal organizations, urban Indian organizations, public or private universities and colleges and community- and faith-based organizations may apply. Consortia of tribal organizations are eligible to apply, but each participating entity must indicate its approval. Applications are encouraged from universities/colleges affiliated with teaching hospitals that offer residency programs and teaching hospitals with graduate training programs for medical residencies. These grants may not be awarded to for-profit agencies.

HOW TO APPLY: Applications for No. TI-08-003 are available by calling SAMHSA’s Health Information Network at 1-877-SAMHSA7 [TDD: 1 800-487-4889] or by downloading at http://www.samhsa.gov/Grants/2008/ti_08_003.aspx . Applicants are encouraged to apply online using www.grants.gov.

APPLICATION DUE DATE: Wednesday April 30, 2008. Applications must be received by the due date and time to be considered for review. Please review carefully Section IV-3 of the application announcement for revised Fiscal Year 2008 submission requirements.

Applicants with questions about program issues should contact Tom Stegbauer at 240-276-2965 or tom.stegbauer@samhsa.hhs.gov. For questions on grants management issues, contact Kathleen Sample at 240-276-1407 or kathleen.sample@samhsa.hhs.gov.

SAMHSA is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation's substance abuse prevention, addictions treatment, and mental health services delivery system.

Page Last Updated: 4/8/2008