Enhance your adolescent care with SBIRT

It’s back-to-school season, a time when pediatrics offices are busy with well-child checks and sports physicals. Pediatricians are in an excellent position to educate adolescents about their health, including providing guidance about substance use. The AAP advises on universal substance use screening using SBIRT techniques for all adolescents. In lower-risk patients, they can prevent or delay the onset of use. For intermediate-risk patients, they can discourage ongoing use and reduce harm. And they can refer patients who have developed substance use disorders to potentially life-saving treatment. SBIRT stands for screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment. TCHP reimburses for SBIRT services for all patients 10 and older. They can be provided by physicians, registered nurses (RNs), advanced practice nurses (APRN), physician assistants (PA), psychologists, licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), licensed professional counselors (LPC), certified nurse midwives (CNM), outpatient hospitals, federally qualified health centers (FQHC), and rural health clinics.

Reimbursement

Procedure Codes	Description	Limitation
H0049	Alcohol and/or drug screening	2 per year
99408	Alcohol and/or substance abuse structured screening and brief intervention services	4 per year

  Additional information is available at:

• TX Health Steps SBIRT resources: http://tinyurl.com/ycss64hx

• SBIRT app for iPhone: http://tinyurl.com/y7376edd

• CeSAR: The Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research: http://tinyurl.com/yaqpfd6x

• Provides CRAFFT Screens in 13 languages, including a CRAFFT Screen that can be self-administered
• Free 4 Hour CME Training Resources: http://tinyurl.com/y88wcvkg