Stroger Hospital of Cook County & Rush Medical College

WeAsk SBIRT Program - Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral & Treatment for Substance Use
 
Use of alcohol and drugs is among our nation’s leading preventable causes of death, accounting for more than 2,000 deaths per year in Cook County, Illinois. Yet, at-risk substance use and addiction remains under-detected and under-treated in general health care settings. With mounting evidence pointing to the critical role of general health care providers in decreasing the harm to individuals and costs to communities, the Cook County Health and Hospitals System (CCHHS) established routine practices for substance use screening, brief intervention, and referral to addiction treatment (SBIRT). CCHHS partnered with state and local agencies to build a continuum of care for patients with addiction disorders, and secured $17.5 million for the program.