On this page:

• Primary care for adults
  • Policy brief from the American College of Physicians (ACP)
  • Alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) resources
  • Alcohol use disorder (AUD) medication guides
  • Alcohol withdrawal management practice guideline
  • Resources to share with patients
• More resources for different specialties and interests (see also the “Primary care for adults” section for resources that are broadly applicable to different specialties)
  • Adolescent primary care
  • Cancer care
  • Chronic pain care
  • Emergency care
  • Geriatric care
  • Gastroenterology and Hepatology
  • Mental health care
  • Prenatal care
  • Pharmacy
• For healthcare systems—practices and plans
  • USPSTF recommendation for alcohol screening
  • Implementation, quality improvement, and practice facilitation guides
  • Cultural adaptation and stigma reduction resources
  • Reimbursement information

Primary care for adults

Policy brief from the American College of Physicians (ACP)

• Excessive Alcohol Use and Alcohol Use Disorders: A Policy Brief of the American College of Physicians, Ann Intern Med. 2024;177(5):656-657. doi:10.7326/M23-3434
  • In this brief, the ACP calls on physicians “to increase their knowledge of the health effects of varying patterns of alcohol use and interventions to address excessive alcohol use and AUD.”

Alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) resources

See also the healthcare system section for resources on stigma reduction strategies and adapting SBIRT to culturally diverse populations.

• SBIRT-related articles from UpToDate: available without an UpToDate subscription for a limited time to NIAAA Core Resource visitors
  • Screening for unhealthy use of alcohol and other drugs in primary care, 2022
  • Brief intervention for unhealthy alcohol and other drug use, 2021
  • Motivational Interviewing for Substance Use Disorders, 2022
  • Alcohol use disorder: Psychosocial treatment, 2021
  • Alcohol use disorder: Pharmacologic management, 2022
• SBIRT training videos
  • The SBIRT process, Video (8 minutes), ColoradoGuidelines, 2009
  • Brief Intervention, Video (5 minutes), SBIRT Oregon, 2010
  • SBIRTOnline, Videos, Southeastern Consortium for Substance Abuse Training
• How to Apply the Core Resource on Alcohol in Clinical Practice, NIAAA – interactive and printable [PDF – 238 KB] versions
• Brief alcohol screening tools for adults recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
  • Scored tool: AUDIT-C, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Screening Tools for Unhealthy Alcohol Use, American Family Physician, 2017
  • Primary Care Validation of a Single-Question Alcohol Screening Test (NIAAA single item screener suited to clinical interviews), Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2009
• Alcohol use disorder (AUD) assessment and diagnosis resources
  • Alcohol Use Disorder: A Comparison Between DSM-IV and DSM-5, NIAAA, 2016
  • Alcohol Symptom Checklist [PDF – 147.8 KB]
• Referral resources
  • NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator: Portal for Healthcare Professionals
  • For people with limited financial resources to pay for alcohol treatment
    • Look into Medicaid eligibility and in-state coverage for addiction treatment
    • Directory of Single State Agencies (SSA) for Substance Abuse Services [PDF – 434 KB], Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2022
    • Directory of Local Health Departments, National Association of County and City Health Officials
• Mutual support groups
  • Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Phone: 212-870-3400. Meeting finder app for iOS and Android smartphones: Meeting Guide.
  • LifeRing. Phone: 800-811-4142
  • Moderation Management.
  • Secular AA – Calendar of worldwide secular meetings
  • Secular Organizations for Sobriety – Find a meeting
  • SMART Recovery. Phone: 440-951-5357
  • Women for Sobriety. Phone: 215-536-8026

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) medication guides

• Medication for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder: A Brief Guide, NIAAA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2015
• COMBINE Monograph Series Volume 2: Medication Management Treatment Manual, NIAAA, 2004
• Medications for Adults with Alcohol Use Disorder (Provider-facing and Patient-facing), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2021
• Practice Guideline for the Pharmacological Treatment of Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder (Summary and Full guidelines), The American Psychiatric Association, 2018

Alcohol withdrawal management practice guideline

• Clinical practice guideline on alcohol withdrawal management, American Society of Addiction Medicine, 2020

Resources to share with patients

• NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator: A tool to help providers and patients find evidence-based alcohol treatment.
• Rethinking Drinking, website and booklet [PDF – 1.93 MB], NIAAA
  • Handling Urges to Drink
  • Building Your Drink Refusal Skills
  • Recovering from a Drinking Episode
• Patient handout - Drink Sizes and Drinking Levels [PDF – 184 KB], NIAAA Core Resource on Alcohol
• Patient handout - Tips for Quitting Drinking and Recovering from a Drinking Episode [PDF – 108 KB], NIAAA Core Resource on Alcohol
• Exam room poster (8 ½ x 11"): "Do you know … what counts as 1 standard drink? … the signs of an alcohol problem?" [PDF – 1 MB], NIAAA
• Exam room poster (8 ½ x 11”): “We screen everyone.” [PDF – 457 KB], NIAAA
• Treatment for Alcohol Problems: Finding and Getting Help, NIAAA, 2014
• Patient decision aid - Options for people who are thinking about their drinking [PDF – 1.96 MB], Developed by Kaiser Permanente with NIAAA funding, 2020
• Fact Sheets on Drinking Levels and Patterns Defined and Binge Drinking, NIAAA

More resources for different specialties and interests

See also the primary care section for resources that are broadly applicable to different specialties.

Adolescent primary care

• Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth: A Practitioner's Guide, NIAAA, 2021
• Policy statement on Alcohol use by Youth, American Academy of Pediatrics, 2019
• Substance Use and Prevention—Professional Tools & Resources, American Academy of Pediatrics
• Provider Guide—Improving Adolescent Health: Facilitating Change for Excellence in SBIRT [PDF – 2.9 MB], National Council for Behavioral Health, 2021

Cancer care

• Alcohol and Cancer Risk , National Cancer Institute    
• American Cancer Society Guideline for Diet and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention, CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 2020
• Alcohol and Cancer: A Statement of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2018

Chronic pain care

• Managing Chronic Pain in Adults with or in Recovery from Substance Use Disorders, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2012

Emergency care

• Emergency Department Management of Patients with Alcohol Intoxication, Alcohol Withdrawal, and Alcohol Use Disorder: A White Paper Prepared for the American Academy of Emergency Medicine, 2023
• Screening and brief intervention (SBI) for Unhealthy Alcohol Use: A Step-by-Step Implementation Guide for Trauma Centers, CDC, 2009
• Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention in the ED, American College of Emergency Physicians, 2018

Geriatric care

• Consensus validation of the POSAMINO (POtentially Serious Alcohol-Medication INteractions in Older adults) criteria. BMJ Open, 2017
• Potentially Serious Alcohol-Medication Interactions in Older Adults 2017 [PDF – 295 KB]

Gastroenterology and Hepatology

• American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Clinical Guideline: Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease, 2024
• Tools for Reducing Alcohol Use: Alcoholic Liver Disease, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Diagnosis and Treatment of Alcohol‐Associated Liver Diseases: 2019 Practice Guidance from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, Hepatology, 2020
• A Behavioral Health Program for Alcohol Use Disorder, Substance Abuse, and Depression in Chronic Liver Disease, Hepatology Communications, 2019

Mental health care

• Alcohol Use Disorder: A Comparison Between DSM-IV and DSM-5, NIAAA, 2016
• Therapy Manuals: Monograph series from NIAAA clinical trials
  • COMBINE Monograph Series Volume 1: Combined Behavioral Intervention Manual [PDF – 2.36 MB], NIAAA, 2004
  • Project MATCH Monograph Series, NIAAA, 1999
    • Project MATCH Volume 1: Twelve Step Facilitation Therapy Manual [PDF – 969 KB]
    • Project MATCH Volume 2: Motivational Enhancement Therapy Manual [PDF – 1.09 MB]
    • Project MATCH Volume 3: Cognitive-Behavioral Coping Skills Therapy Manual [PDF – 712 KB]
• SAMHSA/CSAT Treatment Improvement Protocols, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral for Treatment for Substance Use Disorders and Addictions, Video (2 hours), American Psychological Association, 2017

Prenatal care

• Health Topics: Prenatal Alcohol Exposure, NIAAA
• Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, NIAAA
• Alcohol and Your Pregnancy (fact sheet) [PDF – 823 KB], NIAAA, 2021
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Information for Healthcare Providers, CDC
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Screening, Assessment, and Diagnosis, American Academy of Pediatrics
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Prevention, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) for Pregnant and Postpartum Women [PDF – 430 KB], Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, 2020

Pharmacy

See also the Alcohol use disorder (AUD) medication guides listed above.

• Drugs@FDA: FDA-Approved Drugs, FDA
• DailyMed, National Library of Medicine
• The Pharmacist’s Role in Substance Abuse Prevention, Education, and Assistance [PDF – 38 KB], American Society of Health System Pharmacists, 2015
• Pharmacist Toolkit: Alcohol Use Disorder, College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists, 2018

For healthcare systems—practices and plans

USPSTF recommendation for alcohol screening   

• Unhealthy Alcohol Use in Adolescents and Adults: Screening and Behavioral Counseling Interventions, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, 2018

Implementation, quality improvement, and practice facilitation guides

• General SBIRT implementation guides
  • Unhealthy Alcohol Use Tools & Resources, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
  • Implementing Care for Alcohol & Other Drug Use in Medical Settings: An Extension of SBIRT [PDF – 1.45 MB], National Council for Behavioral Health, 2018
  • Addressing Alcohol and Other Substance Use: Practice Manual [PDF – 299 KB], American Academy of Family Physicians, 2023
  • VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines: Management of Substance Use Disorder (SUD), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, 2015
  • Planning and Implementing Screening and Brief Intervention for Risky Alcohol Use: A Step-by-Step Guide for Primary Care Practices [PDF – 2.18 MB], CDC, 2014
  • Systems-Level Implementation of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2013
• Telehealth implementation guide
  • Telehealth for the Treatment of Serious Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders (includes recommendations for practice and implementation guidelines), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2021
• Alcohol SBIRT implementation guides and tools applying health information technology
  • Clinical Decision Support for Alcohol Risk Assessment, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality  
  • Implementing Evidence-Based Screening and Counseling for Unhealthy Alcohol Use with Epic-Based Electronic Health Record Tools: A Guide for Clinics and Health Systems, Developed as Part of a Pilot Dissemination Project [PDF – 5.19 MB], Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2018
  • Alcohol SBI Clinical Decision Support, CDC
• Quality improvement guides for practices and health plans
  • Quality Improvement Essentials Toolkit, Institute for Healthcare Improvement
  • Screening and Follow-Up for Unhealthy Alcohol Use: Quality Improvement Change Package for Health Plans [PDF – 3.33 MB], National Committee for Quality Assurance, 2020
• Practice facilitation guides–to help primary care practices improve processes and outcomes
  • Delivering Primary Care Practice Facilitation, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 
  • Practice Facilitation Training Modules, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
  • Obtaining and Using Data in Practice Improvement [PDF – 6.13 MB], Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2022 

Cultural adaptation and stigma reduction resources

• Adapting alcohol screening and follow up to culturally diverse populations
  • Journal Issue: Alcohol Use Among Special Populations, NIAAA, Alcohol Research, 2016
  • Improving Cultural Competence. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series No. 59 [PDF – 4.13 MB], Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014
  • Adapting Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment for Alcohol and Drugs to Culturally Diverse Clinical Populations, Journal of Addiction Medicine, 2015
  • Cultural Adaptation of Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment Using Motivational Interviewing, Journal of Addiction Medicine, 2015 
• Stigma reduction resources
  • Words Matter - Terms to Use and Avoid When Talking About Addiction: A CME/CE Activity, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2021
  • Resource Guide: Overcoming Stigma, Ending Discrimination [PDF – 874 KB], Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
  • Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders: The Evidence for Stigma Change, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2016
  • Words Matter: How Language Choice Can Reduce Stigma, Education Development Center with funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2017

Reimbursement information

• Behavioral Health Integration Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• Coding for Screening and Brief Intervention Reimbursement, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, 2020  
• Reimbursement for SBIRT, American Society of Addiction Medicine, 2017