Brief Intervention in Primary Care translates screening results into short, structured conversations that move patients from risk awareness to action. This page shows how to embed SBIRT into routine visits—selecting validated tools, normalizing questions, giving personalized feedback, and negotiating a specific next step within minutes. If you’re comparing options like a primary care addiction conference, you’ll find pragmatic scripts, timing tips, and handoff pathways that work even in high-throughput clinics. Because co-occurring anxiety, sleep problems, and pain often shape readiness, we align brief advice with symptom relief and safety planning so patients feel helped, not judged.

Implementation succeeds when workflows are simple and measurable. We outline roles for clinicians, nurses, MAs, and peer coaches; configure EMR prompts and smart phrases; and map “positive” screens to same-week follow-ups or community services. Micro-interventions (2–5 minutes) can trigger big shifts when paired with motivational language, decisional balance, and a concrete plan—cutting down, switching to safer patterns, or entering treatment. For stepped pathways that integrate primary care and behavioral health, see Integrated Behavioral Health, which complements this page with shared registries, warm handoffs, and outcome tracking.