Resources for Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT)

Resources are available online or by calling SAMHSA’s toll-free helpline.

Resources include:

• Unhealthy Alcohol Use in Adolescents and Adults: Screening and Behavioral Counseling Interventions – 2018 recommends “screening and behavioral counseling interventions in primary care to reduce alcohol misuse.”
• Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth – A Practitioner’s Guide from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is designed to help health care professionals quickly identify youth at risk for alcohol-related problems.
• Preventative Health Services for Adults within the Affordable Care Act includes Alcohol Misuse Screening and Counseling for Adults.
• TAP 33: Systems-Level Implementation of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) – 2013 describes core elements of SBIRT programs for people with or at risk for substance use disorders.
• The Clinician’s Screening Tool for Drug Use in General Medical Settings from the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA) guides clinicians through a series of questions to identify risky substance use in their adult patients.
• Vital Signs: Communication Between Health Professionals and Their Patients About Alcohol Use — 44 States and the District of Columbia, 2011 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports on the number of patients discussing alcohol consumption with a health professional.
• White Paper on Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) in Behavioral Healthcare – 2011 (PDF | 204 KB) report discusses the evidence supporting the effectiveness of SBIRT.

SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Locator can help you find mental health treatment facilities and programs around the country. You may also call SAMHSA's National Helpline 24-hour toll-free at 1-800-662-HELP (4357), or send your zip code via text message: 435748 (HELP4U) to find help near you.