Adolescent SBIRT

Presenters: 

Ron Goldman is an innovator, tech executive, and social entrepreneur. Over the past decade, he has pioneered the use of gaming and simulation technology for learning and assessment experiences in health, behavioral health, and education. As Kognito’s co-founder & CEO, Ron is responsible for setting the strategic vision of Kognito and leading its operational functions including sales, marketing, finance, product development, and technology. Ron has served in the role of principal investigator and has co-authored several articles published in peer-reviewed journals. His work has contributed to three Kognito simulations being listed in the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).

Dr. Glenn Albright’s passion for learning and its application in the fields of health and behavioral health fuel his research activities at Kognito. Dr. Albright leads a team of researchers at Kognito in evaluating the efficacy of its immersive learning and assessment role-play simulations to bring about sustained behavior changes in the areas of social, emotional, and physical health. His research involves integrating empirically-based findings drawn from neuroscience such as emotional regulation, mentalizing, and empathy, as well as components of social cognitive learning models including motivational interviewing and adult learning theory. He is a clinical psychologist who received his Ph.D. from The City University of New York in the area of experimental cognition with concentrations in neuropsychology and applied psychophysiology. Dr. Albright is the former Chair of the Department of Psychology at Baruch College of the City University of New York and has received distinguished teaching awards at both Baruch and New York University. He is actively involved in publishing and presents at numerous conferences addressing how game-based role-play simulations can cost-effectively support public health initiatives. These initiatives are focused on bringing about positive changes in behavior and are designed to impact large numbers of geographically dispersed people comprised of vulnerable populations.

Dr. Tracy McPherson is a Senior Research Scientist in the Public Health Department at NORC at the University of Chicago. For more than 18 years she has led substance use and mental health prevention/early intervention projects funded by government agencies and foundations. Her work has focused on translating research into practice - assisting medical and behavioral health organizations implement clinical practice informed by scientific evidence, build workforce capacity, and evaluate the impact of practice change. Dr. McPherson is the Evaluation, Training, and Technical Assistance Lead on NORC’s Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) projects. As part of this work she leads learning collaboratives focused on improving access to screening, brief intervention, referral to treatment and follow-up care for risky alcohol and other substance use. Dr. McPherson is the Principal Investigator of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation grant, Integrating Adolescent SBIRT in Social Work and Nursing Education, a national workforce development initiative to infuse adolescent SBIRT training in social work, nursing, and interprofessional programs (https://sbirt.webs.com). Dr. McPherson holds a PhD in Applied Social Psychology from The George Washington University.