Addressing Adolescent Substance Abuse in New Mexico by Engaging the State-Funded School Based Health System: Implementation of Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT)

Abstract

Substance use rates in New Mexico’s adolescent population consistently rank higher than the national averages in most categories particularly alcohol, marijuana and cocaine. The purpose of our project is implement an evidence-based prevention/early intervention protocol, SBIRT, into the state supported School-based Health Centers to reduce adolescent substance use through identification, brief intervention and/or referral to higher level of treatment.