Prescreen: Incorporated into the routine in healthcare settings and identifies people with risky substance use.
Screen: For those with a positive prescreen, further screening identifies the appropriate level of intervention required. Screening can be through interview and self-report using validated screening tools such as the AUDIT, DAST, ASSIST for adults and CRAFFT for adolescents.
Brief Intervention: Provided when a screening indicates moderate risk. A BI utilizes Motivational Interviewing techniques focused on raising a person’s awareness of his or her substance use and its consequences, and motivating them toward positive behavioral change. Successful BI encompasses support of the client’s empowerment to make changes. A typical BI takes 5-15 minutes to conduct. Approximately 15.9% of those screened require Brief Intervention.*
Brief Interventions work in two ways: (1) to educate people at low risk about moderate drinking limits, and health risks if limits are exceeded; and (2) to encourage those at risk of health and other consequences to think differently about their use and make changes to improve their health.
Brief Therapy: After a screening result of moderate to high risk (approximately 3.2% of those screened*), a referral to Brief Therapy is recommended. Much like Brief Intervention, this involves motivational discussion and client empowerment. Brief Therapy is more comprehensive and includes assessment, education, problem solving, coping mechanisms and building a supportive social environment, all centered around client goals. Brief Therapy encourages a shift in thinking for therapists, engaging clients in the development and implementation of their therapy. Individuals are viewed as the experts on their own lives and are encouraged to identify their goals, while the therapist helps them achieve those goals by looking at solutions that innately build on clients’ skills.
Referral to Treatment: Following a screening result of high risk (around 3.7% of those screened*), a referral to treatment is provided. This is a proactive process that facilitates access to care for those requiring more extensive assessment.
*Figures are based on national average.
SBIRT
THE TARGET POPULATION
• Target population is the non-dependent substance user.
• SBIRT focuses on raising a person’s awareness of his or her substance use and its consequences, and motivating them toward positive behavioral change.
• The SBIRT practice also serves to prevent individuals from ever becoming addicted.
SBIRT IMPORTANT TO THE HEALTH OF COLORADANS
• Substance use can affect an individual’s health and life. SBIRT offers people the opportunity to improve their health.
• Currently, treatment resources address only dependent users.
• For every $100 spent on substance use problems in Colorado, only $0.06 is spent on treatment or prevention. That is less than two percent of the average amount spent on abuse problems in other states.
• SBIRT leads to behavior change and an improved quality of life.
• SBIRT treats substance use like the healthcare issue it is.
• Screening and brief interventions inform people about health consequences related to substance use and reinforces responsible health behaviors.
• SBIRT is a proven approach in changing behavior to improve health and quality of life.
THE DIFFERENCE SBIRT CAN MAKE
• Universal screening for substance use takes only a few minutes,and in those few minutes the healthcare provider can make a difference in a patient’s life; influencing a person's substance use and improving his or her health.
• A measurable reduction in emergency and inpatient services related to substance use, resulting in cost savings for the healthcare system.
• Expansion of the continuum of care, focusing on prevention before substance use escalates to addiction.
WHY SBIRT? (PDF) The benefits of SBIRT as a standard of care.
