Washington State Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment Project: Preliminary Results: Medical Cost Outcomes, Substance Use Patterns, Substance Use Outcomes, May 2007. By Stephen O'Neill, Sharon Estee. Olympia, WA: Washington State Division of Alcohol & Substance Abuse, Research & Data Analysis Division, 2007, 42p.
In the fall of 2003, Washington State received funding from the U.S. Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) for the Washington State Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment (WASBIRT) Program. This project provides brief interventions, brief therapy, and, in some cases, chemical dependency treatment to emergency department patients who screen positive for substance use disorders. At its conclusion, this five-year initiative is expected to broaden the state's continuum of care for substance use disorders to include brief intervention and brief therapy, and to ensure the financial stability of such programs and services over time. This report provides an overview of the preliminary results of the WASBIRT Program, examining medical assistance cost outcomes, substance use levels, and substance use outcomes for patients who received brief interventions for substance use disorders through WASBIRT.
