PROVIDENCE – The state Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals will receive nearly $1.7 million in federal funding each year for the next five years, a total of more than $8 million, to promote ways to treat mental and substance use disorders.
The funding, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, was announced this week.
Screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment, also known as SBIRT, programs will be implemented for adults in primary care and community health settings.
SBIRT is described as an integrated public health approach to deliver early intervention and treatment services for persons with substance use disorders, as well as those who are at risk of developing these disorders, according to SAMHSA.
SBIRT enables health care workers to better identify signs of underlying substance use problems and provide opportunities for early intervention with at-risk substance users before more severe consequences occur, according to the release from SAMHSA.
“These programs help health care providers identify people with substance use problems and provide them with the counseling or treatment they need,” SAMHSA Principal Deputy Administrator Kana Enomoto said in a statement. “Educating patients about the risks of substance misuse helps avoid harm and improve health.”
