Powerpoint presentations and a series of online courses affording CEUs are being made available by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs. These resources stemmed from the 10th annual “Integrating Substance Use, Mental Health and Primary Care Services” conference these organizations, along with IBHP and others, co-sponsored in October, 2013.
SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) is a comprehensive, integrated, public health approach to the delivery of early intervention and treatment services for persons with, or at risk of developing substance use disorders. Screening, brief intervention and referral take place at primary care centers, hospital emergency rooms, trauma centers, and other community settings, providing opportunities for early intervention with at-risk substance users before more severe consequences occur. California’s implementation of this program is called CASBIRT.
SBIRT services became a Medi-Cal benefit beginning for alcohol use only (no drug related services) as of January 1, 2014. Providers eligible to screen and provide brief intervention may be reimbursed for both the alcohol screening and for the brief interventions. Additional resources can be found on the Center for Integrated Health Solutions (CIHS).