This manual is a companion to ‘The ASSIST linked brief intervention for hazardous and harmful substance use: manual for use in primary care’1 and is based on ‘The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST): Guidelines for Use in Primary Care. Draft Version 1.1 for Field Testing’2. The purpose of this manual is to introduce the ASSIST and to describe how to use it in health care settings – particularly community based primary health care settings – to identify people who are using substances, so that a brief intervention (or referral) can be provided, as appropriate.

The manual will describe:
• rationale for screening and brief intervention;
• problems related to substance use;
• the development and validation of the ASSIST;
• how to use the ASSIST (administration, scoring and interpretation of scores);
• motivational interviewing tips to facilitate the process of asking about substance use;
• how to incorporate ASSIST screening in everyday practice.

• Appendix A includes a copy of the ASSIST questionnaire.
• Appendix B includes a copy of the ASSIST response card for clients.
• Appendix C includes a copy of the ASSIST feedback report card for clients.
• Appendix D includes a copy of the risks of injecting card for clients.
• Appendix E provides information about how to adapt the ASSIST for other languages and cultures and to take account of the local situation.
• Appendix F provides answers to the selftesting questions posed in Chapter 11 ‘Good practice in ASSIST questionnaire administration’.
• Appendix G provides two scripted ASSIST examples for practice in role play.