SBIRT (Screening Brief Intervention & Referral to Treatment) Foundations

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Foundation sessions are condensed learning opportunities aligned with SMH-ON PEI trainings offered throughout the school year

Designed for supervisors and clinical leads, these sessions provide a high-level training overview of key concepts, core objectives, and practical implementation considerations to support clinician learning, supervision, and practice integration. Sessions are led by training leads and focus on supporting selection, uptake, implementation, and sustainability within local school board contexts.

During these sessions, mental health leaders will learn to:

understand the key concepts, core objectives, and intended outcomes of PEI trainings offered by SMH-ON, to support informed selection and alignment with their school board needs;identify practical implementation considerations that support clinician learning, supervision, and integration of PEI approaches into school mental health practice;apply strategies to support uptake, sustainability, and ongoing implementation planning within their local school board context.

SBIRT (Screening Brief Intervention & Referral to Treatment)

SBIRT training is an evidence-based public health protocol to screen and identify individuals, including young people, in their substance use. It is a promising practice school mental health professionals can use in response to substance use concerns with core components of screening for substance use, brief intervention (post screening) and referral for specialized substance use treatment and/or additional assessment (if required). This overview focuses on foundational knowledge and skills in SBIRT and motivational interviewing.

Date

November 19, 2026 | 9:30 – 11 a.m.

Audience

Mental Health Leadership Teams

Mental health leaders (Managers of clinical or mental health services, Managers of psychology services, Managers of social work services, Mental health leaders, Other)

System leaders (Chief Education Officers, Chief Executive Officers, Directors/associate directors, Superintendents, Superintendents responsible for mental health, Other)

Language

This session will be delivered in English. Materials, breakout rooms, etc. will be available in French and English.