Section: Module 4: Lesson 1: Ability to Screen Effectively and Quickly for Substance Use Disorders | Substance Use Disorders in Primary Care | NextGenU.org

  • Learning Objectives:
    Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
    • Demonstrate the skills necessary to screen for substance disorders using the ASSIST Screening Tool.
    • Recognize the skills required for addiction prevention counseling.
    • Demonstrate the skills that help set respectful limits on patient requests for prescription medication.
    • Demonstrate how to clearly and supportively recommend treatment to patients with substance use disorders.
    • Demonstrate the skills for evaluating a patient’s stage of change, readiness to accept the diagnosis, and readiness to undertake behavior change.

    Click here to start this lesson

    • Required Learning Resources and Activities
    • Read-only the section "How to use the ASSIST-Lite tool: a step-by-step guide". (25 minutes)

      Public Health England - 2021

    • Read the entire web page (20 minutes)

      WCC Library - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - 2017

    • Read the section "Key principles for appropriate opioid prescribing in general practice" on page 1, the section "Clinical governance - 2.1 Patient focus" on pages 13 to 15, and the section "2.4 Accountable prescribing of opioids in general practice" on pages 21 to 23. (18 minutes)

      The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners - 2019

    • Read the entire webpage. (24 minutes)

      NIDA - 2020

    • Read the entire article. (29 minutes)

      US National Library of Medicine - 2018

    • Read the following sections: “Overview”, “Psychological theory “, “Readiness to Change”, “Specific Techniques”, and “Principles”. (60 minutes)

      Wolterskluwer - 2025

    • SLOs:

      • Demonstrate skills for screening substance use disorders using the ASSIST tool

      • Recognize addiction prevention counseling skills

      • Demonstrate skills for setting limits, recommending treatment, and evaluating readiness for change

      General Instructions:

      In this peer activity, you will practice implementing screening and brief intervention techniques for substance use disorders in primary care settings.

      Step 1: Preparation

      • Review the WHO ASSIST screening tool and implementation guidelines

      • Study the principles of Motivational Interviewing for substance use disorders

      • Examine the Stages of Change model and its application to substance use treatment

      Step 2: Develop and Record

      Create a simulated screening and brief intervention demonstration that includes:

      • Implementation of the ASSIST screening tool with a standardized patient (role-played)

      • Assessment of readiness for change

      • Delivery of a brief intervention using motivational interviewing techniques

      • Setting appropriate limits and making treatment recommendations

      • Addressing potential challenges or resistance

      You may either:

      1. Write a detailed script (600-800 words) of the interaction, or

      2. Create a video recording (10-15 minutes) of the simulated encounter.

    • quiz icon
      Quiz: Module 4

      To access the quiz, click on the name of the quiz provided above. On the following screen, click the attempt quiz button to view the case studies and respond to the questions.

      TO PASS THIS QUIZ YOU MUST OBTAIN A SCORE OF 80%.

      Not available unless: The activity Quiz: Module 3 is marked complete
    • Recommended Additional Readings
    • Read Chapter 1 "A New Look at Motivation" from pages 1 to 16, and Chapter 2 "Motivational Counseling and Brief Intervention" from page 17 to page 25. Although not required, you can read the remaining content of chapter 2 from page 26 to page 33. (51 minutes)

      NIH - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - 2019