A brief intervention (BI) is a short conversation. In SBIRT, a BI typically occurs after an SBIRT screening has identified a level of risk beyond “minimal/none” for substance use or mental health.
A BI is usually intended to intervene around motivation or ambivalence to change. There are many different frameworks for brief interventions, and there are other interventions that are similar to BIs, such as motivational enhancement therapy or brief motivational interventions [1].
What is generally consistent across these types of BIs is a focus on understanding the screening results and reducing ambivalence toward change.