Screening Works: Update from the Field Regarding Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT)
Each week, the Higher Education Center showcases recent developments in the field of AOD abuse and violence prevention in higher education that may include new data and resources, upcoming events and programs, funding opportunities, and learning opportunities. To see a listing of previous This Week! features, visit the This Week! archive.
June 13, 2008
In the five years since the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) launched the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) initiative, the program has increasingly become an integral part of medical practice in clinics, emergency rooms, and other treatment settings.
The acceptance and value of the SBIRT approach is evidenced by the large number of patients screened, the decrease in their substance use, and the recent adoption of billing codes by insurance companies and government payers that enable treatment providers to be reimbursed for these services.
“We’re seeing a lot of positive results,” said H. Westley Clark, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., director of SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT).
The SBIRT approach focuses on individuals who use drugs or drink more than they should but are not yet dependent. The goal of the program is to screen everyone who comes into a participating primary health facility, clinic, emergency room, campus health service, or other venue. For those who need it, information and tools are offered to help stop substance abuse problems before they escalate.
To date, CSAT has provided funds to 12 institutions of higher education, 10 states, and one tribal organization to develop SBIRT demonstration projects.
For more information, visit the SBIRT Web site and read the press release.