Category: Lead Story

The Health Behavior Research and Training Institute’s (HBRT) work on substance-exposed pregnancy prevention (SEP) was featured in the Summer 2025 issue of the National Association of Social Workers’ (NASW) Social Work Advocates magazine. The article highlights HBRT’s efforts to train social workers in screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment as part of a Centers for Disease Control and…

HBRT Director Dr. Mary Velasquez discussed cannabis use in pregnancy in a new episode of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) podcast, Social Work Talks. Dr. Velasquez was joined by Dr. Roger Zoorob, a subject matter expert for the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and the Richard M. Kleberg Senior Professor and Chair…

The Health Behavior Research and Training Institute (HBRT) team presented at two sessions of the 2025 Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) International Research Conference in Seattle. HBRT Co-Directors Drs. Mary Velasquez and Kirk von Sternberg presented “Preventing Substance Exposed Pregnancies (SEPs): Results of Two Randomized Clinical Trials,” which showcased findings from HBRT’s CHOICES Plus studies. Anna…

Danielle Parrish, Ph.D., MSW, has been appointed Associate Director of the Health Behavior Research and Training Institute (HBRT) and Professor at The University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin) Steve Hicks School of Social Work (SHS). She brings an impressive research and clinical background in substance use disorders and behavioral health to HBRT and SHS –…

HBRT recently filmed a series of videos demonstrating motivational interviewing (MI) and screening and brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) in inpatient hospitals. The videos demonstrate MI and SBIRT for alcohol, opioid and marijuana use, and are aimed at health care professionals, including physicians, nurses, and social workers. The series will feature an introduction…