The goals of SBIRT and other substance use early intervention efforts are to identify youths who are using substances in a risky way, provide brief interventions that facilitate positive behavior change, and link youth with more serious substance use problems to treatment. Research shows that the most effective ways to facilitate behavior change and linkage to treatment is through the use of motivational interviewing, a clinical approach to having constructive conversations about substance use that mobilize youth’s intrinsic motivations to make positive change.

The resources and links below focus on substance use brief interventions and referral to treatment, highlighting ways that motivational interviewing can be used to address substance use among adolescents and young adults.