2022
Dr. Von Sternberg, Dr. Parrish, Dr. Castro, and Dr. Velasquez presented the poster, “Processes of change in preventing alcohol- and tobacco-exposed pregnancy: Replication of a mediation analysis,” at the 45th Annual Research Society on Alcoholism Scientific Meeting, Orlando, Florida.
Dr. Velasquez presented, “Women and Alcohol: Screening and Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment in Medical Settings on September 30 at the 25th Annual Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH) Women’s Healthcare Conference in Houston. (10/2022)
Dr. Velasquez was a keynote speaker at the 2022 Houston Addiction Disorders Conference hosted by the Central for Neurobehavioral Research on Addiction at UT Health Science Center at Houston’s McGovern Medical School. She presented, “Integrating Substance Use Disorder Research into Medical Settings,” to an audience of policymakers, researchers and clinicians. (9/2022)
Dr. Velasquez and Leslie Sirrianni presented, “Using Motivational Interviewing and Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment Modalities to Support Vaccine Decision Making,” to members of the NASW-Kentucky chapter. Leslie Sirrianni and Cathy Crouch also trained members of the NASW-Michigan chapter in MI and SBIRT for vaccine decision making on July 21. Both trainings were part of the Health Behavior Research and Training Institute’s partnership with NASW, “Connect to End COVID-19,” funded by CDC. (7/2022)
Dr. Velasquez was a guest on NASW’s Social Work Talks podcast, along with NASW Mississippi Chapter Executive Director and Special Populations Coordinator Gwen Bouie-Haynes. In the episode, the two discuss how social workers can reach special populations through the use of motivational interviewing in vaccine conversations. The podcast was part of the Health Behavior Research and Training Institute’s CDC-funded partnership with NASW, “Connect to End COVID-19.” (7/2022)
Dr. von Sternberg, Dr. Velasquez, Dr. Danielle Parrish and Dr. Yessenia Castro presented, “Processes of change in preventing alcohol- and tobacco-exposed pregnancy: Replication of a mediation analysis,” at the 45th Annual Research Society on Alcoholism Scientific Meeting. (6/2022)
Dr. Mary Velasquez and Leslie Sirrianni presented, “Using Motivational Interviewing and Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment Modalities to Support Vaccine Decision Making,” on to members of the NASW-South Carolina chapter. Leslie Sirrianni and Lloyd Berg also trained members of the NASW-Indiana chapter in MI and SBIRT for vaccine decision making. Both trainings were part of the Health Behavior Research and Training Institute’s partnership with NASW, “Connect to End COVID-19,” funded by CDC. (5/2022)
Dr. Velasquez presented two workshops at the Texas Substance Use Symposium in Corpus Christi: “Best Practices in Screening and Treatment Initiation with Hospitalized Patients” and “Motivational Interviewing: Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment.” (4/2022)
Dr. Velasquez and Leslie Sirrianni presented, “Engaging Social Workers in Boosting COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence, Uptake and Access,” for Dell Medical School’s Department of Health Social Work Grand Rounds. (1/2022)
Leslie Sirrianni presented, “Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Adapted for COVID-19 Vaccine Conversations,” as part of the NASW national webinar, “COVID-19 Vaccination Through a Social Work Lens: Motivational Interviewing and SBIRT.” (1/2022)
2021
Dr. Velasquez presented a review of the use of motivational interviewing strategies to manage unhealthy alcohol use in primary care. The audience consisted of Practice Facilitators, representing over 300 primary care settings. The meeting was funded through a grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to NORC at the University of Chicago. (10/2021)
Dr. Velasquez delivered a training for several new Champions in the Health Social Work department at Dell Medical School, as well as social workers and physicians at People’s Community Clinic. (10/2021)
Dr. Velasquez conducted a virtual training on motivational interviewing for services staff at Foundation Communities, a nonprofit providing affordable housing and support services to families in Austin and North Texas. (9/2021)
Dr. Velasquez presented a seminar on SBIRT for Women’s Health Professionals at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, through Project ECHO. The goal of the seminar was to provide community health professionals with the training and support they need to manage substance use issues within women’s health settings using an SBIRT model. (8/2021)
2020
Dr. Mary Velasquez presented the webinar, “Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT): Prevention Practice to Reduce Risky Drinking,” for the National Association of Social Workers. (8/2020)
Dr. Mary Velasquez and Leslie Sirrianni trained University Health Services providers throughout the UT System in Motivational Interviewing and delivering substance use interventions to students. (8/2020)
Dr. Mary Velasquez and Susan De Luca presented, “How to write a NIH review: Understanding your role on a study section,” for UT’s Office of the Vice President for Research (7/2020).
Dr. Mary Velasquez presented, “Preventing Substance-Exposed Pregnancies: Two Decades of Research & Evidence-Based Interventions for Community Settings,” for Dell Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds. (5/2020)
Dr. Mary Velasquez delivered an outreach presentation to health social workers in the UT Austin Dell Medical School Department of Health Social Work. She reintroduced our Champions program and delivered an SBI training that served as part one of the three-part program (1/2020).
Oral presentations at the 2020 Society for Social Work Research Annual Conference from HBRT included:
- Hai, A. H. & Hammock, K., & Velasquez M. M. (2020, January). The efficacy of technology-based interventions for alcohol and illicit drug use among women of childbearing age: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Barros Lane, L., Hernandez, M., Hammock, K., Velasquez, M. M., & von Sternberg, K. (2020, January). #Blackmamasmatter: A mixed-methods study of African American women’s attitudes towards birth control.
