SBIRT Schedules

Screener Shifts 

Our undergraduate screeners currently staff high-volume shifts in the St. Elizabeth's Emergency Department as follows:

• Friday evenings, 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM (1-2 screeners)
• Saturday mornings, 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM (2 screeners)
• Saturday evenings, 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM (1-2 screeners)
• Sunday mornings, 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM (2 screeners)

Our standard coverage schedules are modified as advisable for special events such as holidays and major sporting/entertainment events, which typically require adding additional shifts and/or extending shifts beyond 4 hours. Designated screeners serve on-call each weekend in the event that a patient surge necessitates an increased screener presence at the Emergency Department. Shift transportation for student screeners from Boston College is provided courtesy of Boston College Police and Eagle Escort - such screeners must request transportation with sufficient advance notice to ensure they arrive in-hospital on time for their scheduled shifts. Student screeners from BC must display their specialized hospital ID badges in order to receive transport from the university; all screeners are required to wear their badges in-hospital at all times while working. Punctuality and business casual attire are also essential. Screeners are not permitted to be absent, leave early, or arrive late for their previously scheduled shift assignments without receiving advance permission from the SEMC-BC SBIRT Collaborative Manager no later than 24 hours prior to the scheduled shift. Screeners are entitled to one weekend off per month (excluding breaks), with at least five days' advance notice required. Occasionally screeners experience low patient volume during their service periods; active screeners spend such time working on special projects such as future Collaborative outreach planning, composition and rehearsal of screening how-to demos, data analysis, and other supportive activities as authorized by the SBIRT Manager. Screeners fresh out of training spend their first three months familiarizing themselves with our Emergency Department location and staff as well as rehearsing SBIRT methodologies when not actually preparing, conducting, or debriefing encounters in preparation for working independently, developing specialized leadership roles, and supporting future screener outreach, recruitment, and training.

Roundtable Meetings

SBIRT screeners are required to attend Roundtable Meetings consistently in order to discuss their recent cases in a constructive setting of peer education and collaborative problem-solving under the guidance of the SEMC-BC SBIRT Collaborative Manager and/or Director. Certain patient cases can be extremely complex and our roundtables offer screeners the opportunity to discuss their full range of SBIRT experiences without jeopardizing patient confidentiality (as required pursuant to HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2). Roundtables are set aside for individual and trend case analysis and feedback from both peer screeners and the moderator(s). Screeners also use this time to update program staff on their supportive efforts and submit their special projects work to peer evaluation and critique. Roundtables are closed to the public; for the opportunity to interact with staff members and screeners from the SBIRT Collaborative, please make arrangements to attend one of our SBIRT Information Sessions (dates/times are posted on our SBIRT FAQs page) or contact SBIRT Collaborative Manager Aaron Lemmon directly at 617-789-2413 or sbirt@steward.org

Patient Follow-Ups

During every patient interview the screener requests permission for a telephone follow up interview with the patient three months from the date of the initial interview. One week prior to each contact date screeners send a reminder advance email - again, this communication is restricted to patients who have given advance consent and chosen to provide their contact information during the initial encounter. Screener patient follow ups are conducted separately from the scheduled roundtable times listed above.

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