Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT): rationale, program overview and cross-site...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Substance Use Disorders
• Healthcare Services Research

Background:

• The US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has funded Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) grants since 2003.
• These grants aimed to expand the continuum of care for individuals with or at risk for substance use disorders in general medical and community settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the SAMHSA SBIRT program, its motivating scientific research, and its cross-site evaluations.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the SAMHSA SBIRT grant program in achieving its aims.

Main Methods:

• A narrative review of existing research evidence on SBIRT.
• Description of the cross-site evaluation design for 11 grant recipient programs.
• Characterization of programs by service components, sites, providers, management, and patient demographics.

Main Results:

• The SAMHSA SBIRT program effectively introduced new services expanding the care continuum.
• Services ranged from early intervention for non-dependent users to specialized treatment referrals.

Conclusions:

• The US SAMHSA SBIRT program is an effective strategy for enhancing substance use disorder services.
• It successfully integrates early intervention and treatment referral within broader healthcare settings.