Brief interventions are delivered as part of clinical care visits. Effective brief interventions to reduce alcohol misuse include assessment, advice, agreement on goals, assistance to stop drinking, and arrangement of follow up or referral for additional assistance.

Screening for Alcohol Use and Problems
Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention. 2004. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Guidelines for Referral and Diagnosis. Atlanta, GA.Department of Health and Human Services. (Pages 30–33).
www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fas/documents/FAS_guidelines_accessible.pdf [1]

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 2002. Screening for Alcohol Problems—An Update. Alcohol Alert, No. 56. Bethesda, MD.National Institutes of Health.
pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa56.htm [2]

Babor, T.F.; Higgins-Biddle, J.C.; Saunders, J.B.; and Monteiro, M.G. 2001. AUDIT-The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test: Guidelines for Use in Primary Care. Second Edition. Geneva. World Health Organization.
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2001/WHO_MSD_MSB_01.6a.pdf [3]

Chang, Grace. 2001. Alcohol screening instruments for pregnant women. Alcohol Research and Health 25(3):204-209. pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh25-3/204-209.htm [4]

Cherpitel, C.J. 1997. Brief Screening Instruments for Alcoholism. Alcohol Health and Research World. 21:348-351. pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh21-4/348.pdf [5]

Also see below, "Screening and Behavioral Counseling Interventions in Primary Care To Reduce Alcohol Misuse: Recommendation Statement" and "Helping Patients With Alcohol Problems."

Brief Interventions: Evidence and Guides
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. 2004. Screening and Behavioral Counseling Interventions in Primary Care to Reduce Alcohol Misuse. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (Selected chapters are listed below).

Whitlock, E.P.; Polen, M.R.; Green, C.A.; Orleans, C.T.; and Klein, J. 2004. Behavioral counseling interventions in primary care to reduce risky/harmful alcohol use by adults. Originally in Ann Intern Med 2004;140:558-69. www.ahrq.gov/clinic/3rduspstf/alcohol/alcomissum.htm [6]

Screening for Alcohol Misuse. www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspsdrin.htm [7]

Screening and Behavioral Counseling Interventions in Primary Care to Reduce Alcohol Misuse: Recommendation Statement. www.ahrq.gov/clinic/3rduspstf/alcohol/alcomisrs.htm [8]

Task Force Ratings: Strength of Recommendations. www.ahrq.gov/clinic/3rduspstf/ratings.htm [9]

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 2005. Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much: A Clinician's Guide. Rockville, MD.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Practitioner/CliniciansGuide2005/guide.pdf [10]

Babor, T.D.; and Higgins-Biddle, J.C. 2001. Brief Intervention for Hazardous and Harmful Drinking: A Manual for Use in Primary Care. Geneva: World Health Organization. whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2001/WHO_MSD_MSB_01.6b.pdf [11]

Handmaker, N.S.; and Wilbourne, P. 2001. Motivational interventions in prenatal clinics. Alcohol Research and Health 25(3):219-299. pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh25-3/219-299.htm [12]

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 1999. Brief Intervention for Alcohol Problems. Rockville, MD.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa43.htm [13]

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 2000. The Tenth Special Report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol and Health: Chapter 8: Treatment of alcohol dependence with psychological approaches. Rockville, MD: National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/10report/chap08b.pdf Parent-Child Assistance Program (P-CAP)

Parent-Child Assistance Program

The Parent-Child Assistance Program (P-CAP) uses a paraprofessional home visitation model to reduce risk behaviors in women with substance abuse problems. The program uses a case management approach, which is an effective complement to traditional substance abuse treatment. The focus is not simply on reducing alcohol and drug use, but also on reducing other risk behaviors and addressing the health and social well-being of mothers and their children.

Parent-Child Assistance Program (P-CAP). 2002. SAMHSA Model Programs: Parent-Child Assistance Program, Brief Program Description. modelprograms.samhsa.gov/template_cf.cfm?page=promising&pkProgramID=134 [14]

Project CHOICES

Project CHOICES targets women at risk of having an alcohol-exposed pregnancy before they become pregnant. A large proportion of women do not realize they are pregnant until well into the first trimester, and many drink alcohol during this time. The project focuses on reducing drinking and postponing pregnancy through contraception with women 18 to 44 who are sexually active and drinking alcohol.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2003. Motivational Intervention to Reduce Alcohol-Exposed Pregnancies—Florida, Texas, and Virginia, 1997-2001. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5219a4.htm [15]

Project CHOICES Intervention Research Group. Reducing the risk of alcohol-exposed pregnancies: A study of a motivational intervention in community settings. Pediatrics 2003;111(5):1131-1135. (This article references information from the CHOICES feasibility study. Table 1 describes all the components of the counseling sessions.) pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/111/5/S1/1131 [16]