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Insight is part of a federal initiative designed to integrate screening, brief intervention, and referral and treatment (SBIRT) services for substance use problems into the routine delivery of medical care and create a bridge between the general medical system and the substance use disorders service delivery system. With funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the State of Texas has joined forces with local and statewide partners to create a model program that is moving us closer to the goal of integrating physical and behavioral health care services, bringing an emerging service model out of the laboratory and into the public health care system in Houston.

The Texas Department of State Health Services administers the project, and management and direct patient care services are provided through the Harris County Hospital District (HCHD) and The Council on Alcohol and Drugs Houston (The Council). Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston, and the University of Texas at Austin through its Addiction Research Institute and Health Behavior Research and Training Institute, provide clinical consultation, training and provider support, and reporting and evaluation services. Working alone, none of these entities could implement such a project. Together, they are building a program that serves as a blueprint for the delivery of health care services across Texas.

InSight is good medicine.

The American Medical Association, along with other leading medical organizations, recognizes alcohol and drug abuse and dependence as distinct disease processes. This perspective represents a significant step in reducing stigma commonly associated with substance misuse. Other organizations such as The United States Preventative Services Task Force, the United State Veteran's Administration and the American Society of Addiction Medicine recommend screening for alcohol as part of routine patient care. There is a growing body of evidence that SBIRT is a powerful and cost-effective way to change behavior, reducing the damage caused by misuse of alcohol and drugs and preventing addiction.

Establishing a best practice approach for addressing alcohol and drugs in routine medical care is critical and overdue. InSight's primary goal is to make addressing alcohol and drug concerns a major element in health care delivery systems by incorporating standardized services for all patients.