SBIRT and other prevention and early intervention programs can be difficult to implement in settings that serve adolescents and young adults. Primary care clinics, mental health programs, schools, justice programs, and other settings that are good places to focus SBIRT and other prevention efforts are often busy and hectic environments where it can be difficult to find time and space to engage youth in productive conversations about substance use. Moreover, logistical constraints, funding challenges, systemic barriers, and provider discomfort discussing substance use can impede efforts to implement and sustain programs to detect and address youth substance use.

The resources and links on this page focus on the implementation of SBIRT and prevention/early intervention services that target adolescents and young adults who are using substances in a risky manner. This section includes: implementation guidance; tools that can be used to talk to the general public (including program administrators and community members) to enhance support for SBIRT and substance use prevention; and materials that can be used to train service providers on how to effectively deliver SBIRT and substance use prevention services to youth.