SBIRT Training: Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral for Treatment for Substance Use Disorder

Course overview

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based public health approach that helps clinicians identify and respond to unhealthy substance use in routine care. This course is designed for physicians, physician assistants (PAs), advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), dentists, and optometrists practicing in primary care, emergency medicine, urgent care, inpatient care, telehealth, dental, eye care, and other general health care settings. It covers validated screening tools; brief intervention using motivational interviewing; clinical assessment and referral; medications for opioid and alcohol use disorder; naloxone and harm-reduction resources; implementation across settings and populations; and confidentiality, documentation, and person-first communication. The content maps to clinician responsibilities, including screening, clinical assessment, brief intervention, referral, care coordination, follow-up, and documentation, as well as diagnosis, treatment planning, and prescribing by clinicians with appropriate prescriptive authority under applicable state law and scope of practice (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force [USPSTF], 2018, 2020; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], n.d.). Clinical roles and prescriptive authority differ across these professions; each learner applies SBIRT within their own scope of practice.