On August 11th Missouri will host a regional training sponsored by SAMHSA and NHTSA to train trauma care providers in screening and brief interventions. The training will be held in Columbia Missouri and will be available via teleconference at multiple sites. We willhave more site information in the near future. For more information and registration go to  http://sbirt.samhsa.gov/trauma.htm

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University has released  Shoveling Up II: The Impact of Substance Abuse on Federal, State, and Local Budgets. The report found that addiction cost federal, State and local governments $467.7 billion in 2005. The Report includes State specific cost data for 45 States.

AlcoholScreening.org reaches milestone during National Alcohol Awareness Month

BOSTON, MA – "Is my drinking risky?" At AlcoholScreening.org, over one million people have now learned the answer to this question by taking a confidential, free online screening to assess their drinking patterns. Visitors to the free health-screening website receive personalized feedback, finding out if their alcohol consumption is likely to be within safe limits -- or if it may be harmful to their health now, or in the future. They also find out whether they drink more or less than other people of their age and gender. read more ...

For anyone who drinks, this site offers valuable, research-based information. What do you think about taking a look at your drinking habits and how they may affect your health?  read more ...

The Emergency Nurses Association is asking its members to become an SBIRT champion.

Their reasons in part include:

• Reduced ED visit recidivism.
• Improved patient safety in the community.
• Decreased risk for injuries (e.g., falls, ATV, motor vehicle crashes).
• Reduced risk of harm to others due to alcohol use problems (e.g., domestic violence).
• Reduced alcohol-medication adverse events.
• Increased intervention impact on ED patients and the community.
• Reduced health care costs.
• Adoption of a universal screening policy makes reimbursement more likely because alcohol use problems are not tied to the medical event.

Take a look at their brief SBIRT video.

According to a recent SAMHSA Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) report, while the total number of ED visits attributable to drug misuse and abuse was stable across 2004, 2005, and 2006, visits related to nonmedical use of pharmaceuticals increased 38%. Among the drugs most frequently implicated in nonmedical use, notable changes occurred for psychotherapeutic and CNS agents. Within these two categories, visits involving benzodiazepines increased 36%, and visits involving opiate/opioid analgesics increased 43%. Among the opiates/opioids, visits involving hydrocodone/combinations increased 44%, and visits involving oxycodone/combinations increased 56%.

You can get the full report for their site (cached copy).

A new report released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) of the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) found evidence that people treated for depression in primary care clinics that provide a coordinated set of mental and physical health do better and have fewer symptoms than patients who are treated at sites that just provide health services.

The report entitled Integration of Mental Health/Substance Abuse and Primary Care, also found that patients treated in specialty mental health centers appear to benefit when the facilities offer general medical care.

The report was co-funded by HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Women’s Health, and Office of Minority Health, and conducted by the AHRQ-supported University of Minnesota Evidence-based Research Center in Minneapolis.