SBIRTchc: Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment in Massachusetts Community Health Centers

As part of a national initiative to detect and intervene with patients in healthcare settings who use and abuse substances, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health is engaged in three SBIRT projects. Massachusetts SBIRT sites include Emergency Departments, a large teaching hospital, and community health centers. All sites utilize the following evidence-based protocols:

• Screening: Identification of risk of alcohol or other drug use and abuse.
• Brief Intervention/Treatment: Motivational strategies to assist patients in making healthy choices around their substance use. Some medical settings also offer the more in-depth Brief Treatment.
• Referral to Treatment: Linkages to treatment are a crucial component for assessing the extent and needs of patients affected by substance use and abuse.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health/Bureaus of Substance Abuse Services and Family and Community Health have selected thirty-two community health centers to participate in screening, brief intervention and referral for treatment. Women of Childbearing Age and Adolescents will be screened in these health settings. As a result of the Institute for Health and Recovery’s prior, successful work in Screening and Early Identification, IHR staff are working in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to provide SBIRT training and technical assistance to these sites. An integrated Behavioral Health Screening Tool is being utilized; this tool incorporates the gender-specific 5 P’s plus Quantity/Frequency, as well as questions on tobacco use, emotional health, and violence. The CRAFFT screening tool, designed by John Knight et al. of Children’s Hospital in Boston, is being utilized for adolescents. IHR staff provide training and technical assistance to all sites.

For more information, please contact Enid Watson, M. Div., Director of Screening and Early Identification.