NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The New Mexico Human Services Department is launching a screening tool to identify and help people who are at high risk for substance abuse. The service is called ePrevention and can be used by healthcare providers to conduct online screening for patients at risk of alcohol, marijuana, or other substance abuse.
The HSD is partnering with CHESS Health. Screenings through the program can be done anonymously and individuals can be referred to a variety of intervention methods. The ePrevention program uses a protocol known as Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT).
The director of the HSD, Doctor Neal Bowen, hopes ePrevention can be used to detect substance abuse before it develops into a disorder. The New Mexico HSD says, “when a person’s responses indicate they would benefit from a clinical evaluation or treatment, ePrevention can seamlessly facilitate referrals to a behavioral healthcare provider.”
