It’s Time to Close the Gap: Implementing Substance Use Screening and Brief Interventions for Adolescents in Mental Health Settings

Description

Teens with mental health issues are at increased risk for substance use, but they are rarely screened for substance use in behavioral health settings. To address this gap, the Conrad Hilton Foundation funded the National Council for Behavioral Health to implement Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) as a routine service in 27 behavioral health providers across the country. Learn more about the project, including outcomes and lessons learned.

Presenter

Aaron Williams serves as the Director of Training and Technical Assistance for Substance Abuse for the SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions (CIHS) at the National Council for Behavioral Health (National Council).
In this role, Mr. Williams leads the National Council/CIHS’ strategic initiatives on substance use screening and treatment, and provides direct training and technical assistance to promote primary and behavioral healthcare integration with special attention to addiction treatment providers.

Aaron Surma serves as the SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions’ Senior Evaluation Associate at the National Council for Behavioral Health, regularly working with mental health and addiction provider organizations to make better use of the data they already collect.
He stresses the meaningful use of data on the consumer, clinic and administrative level, with an emphasis on continuous quality improvement. Aaron has earned two masters degrees: a Masters of Social Work from the University of Michigan and a Masters of Accounting from Eastern Michigan University.

Additional Resources

PowerPoint Slides 
RASAI-Screening-Guide-CRAFFT
RASAI-Screening-Guide-UNCOPE-Plus