Heartland Family Service has partnered with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to provide a community screening tool through the SBIRT approach, comprised of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment.

SBIRT is a comprehensive, integrated, public health approach to the delivery of early intervention and treatment services for persons with substance use disorders, as well as those who are at risk of developing these disorders. People often think using substances is not a problem and may not notice their risk level until they have completed the SBIRT screening tool.

A person would use the SBIRT screening tool to determine the extent of their substance use, as well as the stage in which they currently fall. Those who live in a community setting that provides opportunity for early intervention, such as a shelter or an unstable home environment should be screened.

If the SBIRT screening comes back as positive and has results of “Harmful or Dependent,” this will require action, such as referral to an organization, like Heartland Family Service, that provides substance use treatment.

There are many factors that explain why some individuals are more naturally drawn to using drugs or alcohol, including genetics, a chaotic home environment, peer influences, and mental health disorders. Some of the warning signs of a substance use disorder include increased aggression or irritability; poor physical coordination; abrupt weight changes; and sleeping too little or too much.