Wisconsin Department of Health & Family Services

Program Description

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) has awarded the Wisconsin Office of the Governor $2.4 million per year for 5 years to support the delivery of substance abuse screening, brief intervention, referral and treatment services in primary healthcare settings across the state, utilizing the chronic care model and recommendations of the Institute of Medicine.  The Wisconsin Initiative on Promoting Healthy Lifestyles (WIPHL) emphasizes the development and ongoing improvement of durable, drug-free lifestyles for Wisconsin residents.

Program Model

Screening

Brief screening is administered by nurses, medical assistants, or an interactive voice response system using standardized prescreening questions. Individuals with positive brief screens undergo full screening by a WIPHL health educator. Individuals are screened using the Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) instrument and sections A and B of the Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) Baseline Instrument.

Brief Intervention

Brief interventions are conducted using motivational interviewing by a WIPHL health educator. The health educator also sends a written summary to the patient after each session.

Brief interventions are conducted in-person or via telephone, when necessary, and consist of up to five sessions.

Brief Treatment

WIPHL health educators can provide up to 12 sessions of brief treatment. Treatment protocols are based primarily on the transtheoretical model of behavior change and motivational interviewing.

Referral

For patients that are willing to consider treatment, health educators make a referral to the WIPHL treatment liaison. The treatment liaison will facilitate referrals to local county or tribal programs. A standard patient placement questionnaire will be used to determine the level of treatment needed and a referral to the appropriate provider will be made.

Service Features

All patients who receive referral to treatment services also receive needs assessment and referral services relating to health, dental care, HIV testing and education, mental health, family counseling, violence, housing, food, education and vocational rehabilitation, child care, financial planning, and legal issues.

WIPHL SBIRT Services Integrated in Wisconsin

Five umbrella organizations will coordinate SBIRT services in 20 primary care clinical sites across the State:

  • University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine
  • University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation
  • Polk County Health Department
  • Menominee Tribe
  • Aurora Health Care

WIPHL SBIRT Treatment Agencies

Provider network includes nearly 50 provider agencies, including:

  • Polk County Human Services Department
  • Hope Haven
  • Meta House, Inc.
  • Menominee Tribal Clinic
  • ARC Alternative Living
  • Milwaukee Health Services
  • United Community Center

Program Effectiveness

As of July 3, 2008, a total of 16,509 patients have received services through this project. Of these, 16.1 percent (2,660) screened positive and received an intervention and/or additional services for substance use.

WI SBIRT services as of July 3, 2008:

  • Screened 13,774 patients
  • Provided brief intervention to 2,660 patients
  • Provided brief treatment to 40 patients
  • Referred 35 patients to treatment

Contact Information

Joyce Allen, Project Director
Department of Health and Family Services
Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
1 West Wilson Street
Madison, WI 53707
(608) 266-1351
allenjb@dhfs.state.wi.us