Substance use is a significant yet preventable public health problem.

Alcohol and other drug use is a significant public health problem. In fact, half of Americans 12 and older reported current drinking, 44.4 percent of which engaged in binge drinking and 12.8 percent in heavy drinking in 2020. Overdose deaths increased 28.5 percent between 2020 and 2021 alone and, for the first time, surpassed 100,000 in a 12-month period.

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based substance use prevention and early intervention model that incorporates universal screening to identify risk and brief intervention to reduce use and prevent more severe consequences. Referrals to substance use disorder treatment are provided when warranted. Though promising results have been found when implementing SBIRT in medical settings, specific populations at increased risk for substance use disorders are less likely to seek medical care and will not benefit from these services.

NORC is providing evaluation and technical assistance for an SBIRT model that targets four marginalized populations.

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) was awarded a five-year SBIRT grant from SAMHSA to implement an innovative community outreach model to serve four historically marginalized populations:

• LGBTQIA2S+ youth
• Rural residents
• Tribal communities
• Recent immigrants

NORC is the lead evaluator and technical assistance provider for this project, working with OASAS, project partners, and community implementation sites to develop and tailor the model, and implement workflows. We will collect and analyze data, assess the delivery, and evaluate the project’s outcomes. We are also supporting the expansion of the model to include screening and intervention for suicide risk, called SBIRT-Suicide Care (SBIRT-SC).