In the 5 years since SAMHSA launched the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Initiative, the program has increasingly become an integral part of medical practice in clinics, emergency rooms, and other treatment settings.
The acceptance and value of the SBIRT approach is evidenced by the large number of patients screened, the decrease in their substance use, and the recent adoption of billing codes by insurance companies and Government payers that enable treatment providers to be reimbursed for these services.
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