ABSTRACT
Due to the many health issues related to substance misuse and the prevalence of many co-occurring disorders, primary health care practices provide a unique opportunity to identify and intervene with individuals engaged in high risk substance use or experience substance use disorder. Integrated primary care behavioral health models may increase routine screening for high risk substance use, improving timely access to comprehensive assessment, early intervention, and outpatient services when needed. This chapter’s authors describe social work roles in integrated care settings related to screening, assessment, intervention, and referral options and discuss challenges to implementing these services in integrated care settings. Commonly encountered health complications related to substance misuse, particularly alcohol, are also identified.
