(SBIRT) Exam 2023 All Questions and Answers Complete
What is SBIRT?
it’s a comprehensive, integrated, public health approach to the delivery of early
intervention and treatment services for people with substance use disorders and those
at risk of developing them
What does SBIRT mean?
-Screening
-Brief Intervention
-Referral to Treatment
Screening
procedure to evaluate the probability of a person having a substance use disorder or
being at risk for negative consequences due to the use of alcohol/drugs
Brief intervention
-any time-limited effort to provide: info or advice, increase motivation to avoid substance
use, or teach behavior change skills to reduce substance use and chances of negative
consequences
-typically delivered to persons at low to moderate risk
referral to treatment
-when screening identifies a person already having substance-related health problems
or SUD needing formal diagnosis and possible treatment referral
-referral process facilitates access to care (including brief treatment) beyond Brief
intervention
SBIRT is...
-based on public health principles
-designed to reduce the burden of injury, disease, and disability associated with the
misuse of alcohol, illicit drugs, prescription medications, and tobacco
GOALS of SBIRT
-encourage healthcare providers to screen and provide advice or counseling to their
patients who misuse alcohol or other drugs
-to influence risky behavior patterns and reduce exposure to the negative
consequences of misuse
-improve linkages between general community health care and specialized substance
abuse providers to facilitate access to care when needed
Why is Alcohol mostly focused on in SBIRT?
-historically, SBIRT was developed and tested with people at risk for heavy/problem
drinking
Where is SBIRT being used?
, -primary care
-community health centers
-trauma centers
-hospital emergency rooms
-and many more places
The components of SBIRT
1. screening is the rapid, proactive procedure to ID people who may have or may be at
risk for having an alcohol/drug problem
2. brief intervention focuses on increasing client awareness of his/her own substance
use and motivation to change
3. referral to treatment provides clients who require more extensive treatment with
access to specialty care
Who gets screened?
-done with EVERYONE (universal)
-no single "right way" to screen
does screening indicate whether someone is at risk or a diagnosis for a given
condition?
-tells if someone is at RISK for a given condition
Screening basics
1. introduce the screen
2. be specific in your questions
3. make sure you are speaking the same language as the patient
4. convey non-judgmental attitude throughout screen no matter what the answers are
General Screening Guidelines
-items should be asked in a matter-of-fact way
-if self-administered, embed items into a broader client survey
-most important: use items that are reliable and valid! (select instrument/items best
suited to your client mix)
Commonly used screeners
-AUDIT (alcohol)
-CAGE (alcohol and drugs)
-DAST (drugs)
-CRAFFT (alcohol and drugs)
-T-ACE/TWEAK (alcohol)
AUDIT
-developed by WORLD HEALTH ORG (1982)
-excellent for identifying early signs of hazardous drinking and mild dependence
-time frame: past 12 months
-92% effective in detecting hazardous/harmful drinking
-reliable/valid across all ethnic and gender groups
CAGE