Impact of screening and brief intervention grants in seven states: Substance use, criminal justice, and education/employment outcomes at 6-month follow-up

Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral, and Treatment (SBIRT) is an integrated, public health approach to the delivery of early intervention services for persons with substance use disorders, as well as those who are at risk of developing these disorders. This paper presents the first round of treatment outcomes for seven SBIRT grantees located in Alaska, California, Illinois, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington. Method: The analysis studied National Outcome Measures (NOMS) at intake and six-month follow-up. The reporting measures included abstinence, criminal justice, and employment/education. Data are based on 251,892 intakes in FY 2004 and 2005. Findings: Of intakes, 80 percent received screening only services and 15 percent received Brief Intervention (BI) services. Of those individuals who reported greater drug/alcohol use severity, 2 percent received Brief Treatment (BT) services and 3 percent were referred to specialty treatment services. The percentage of BI clients who reported that they did not use alcohol or illicit drugs increased from 13 percent at intake to 35 percent at 6-month follow-up. Those receiving BT services improved their criminal justice status 2 percent and their employment/education status 16 percent. Of SBIRT clients who received BI, BT and referral to treatment services, 85 percent completed specialty treatment. Discussion: SBIRT clients report significant decreases in substance use six months after treatment entry. For those who report the highest level of use, participation in SBIRT programs is associated with positive treatment outcomes. More research is needed in the treatment effectiveness of SBIRT programs, particularly for those who use illicit drugs.