LAUSR

Although recreational drug use is uncommon among older adults, recent research has shown that recreational drug use patterns and misuse of alcohol and prescription medications among baby boomers are increasing (Barry and Blow 2016; Caputo et al. 2012; Oslin 2004). As older adults generally have chronic conditions that lead to the use of prescription drugs and over-the-counter (OTC) medications, they are more at risk for dangerous alcohol-medication interactions (Breslow et al. 2015). Also, recent increases in rates of death and use of prescription opioids with suicidal intent among older adults have important implications as the USA undergoes rapid expansion of this population (West et al. 2015; Lippold et al. 2019). Despite their heightened vulnerability, few older adults are screened, and most older adults do not receive needed preventive services or early interventions even though evidence-based programs exist. Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is considered an evidence-based public health approach for addressing this gap but has rarely been used in the aging network of care (Blow and Barry 2000; Kuerbis et al. 2015). Thus, the focus of this brief report is to document the barriers and facilitators of implementing SBIRT in nonmedical organizations serving older adults and to assess whether older adults can be recruited and retained into this program. This study did not involve randomization of study participants to an experimental condition, and consequently, it is not possible to draw causal inferences about program impact. Aging Society