Kyle Bishop, Executive Director of the Wellness Center, received a $16,000 grant in March to implement Maryland’s Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) project at SMCM. SBIRT is an evidence-based practice used to identify, reduce, and prevent problematic use, abuse, and dependence on alcohol and illicit drugs. The funding is coming to SMCM through Behavioral Health System, Baltimore, as part of a larger program funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

Dr. Bishop and the Wellness Center staff will work with The Mosaic Group to incorporate screening tools, documentation, and reporting capacity into the Health Services’ electronic health record system. The Mosaic Group is a nationally recognized management-consulting firm with expertise in community health and human-services strategies, program design, and evaluation across a breadth of content areas including health information technology.

The SMCM Wellness Center is staffed by a team of medical and mental health professionals to assist students in addressing their physical and mental health concerns. The location, hours, list of services and more can all be found at www.smcm.edu/wellness/. Wellness Center staff began meeting with The Mosaic Group personnel in March to implement screening and referral tools that will hopefully help reduce substance abuse at SMCM.