We want clinicians to find the SASSI to be helpful in their work in a way that enables them to affect the lives of their clients in a positive manner.
When a client is unable to acknowledge (sincerely deluded) or unwilling to accept they may have a problem, a clinician’s skillful and caring feedback on SASSI results may help break through those barriers and enable the client to take the courageous step toward recovery.
If you would like to learn more about clinically interpreting SASSI profiles, we encourage you to join us for one of Clinical Interpretation trainings. For more information on live, on-demand, and in-person workshops, please visit https://sassi.com/sassi-training/
Free assistance interpreting SASSI results is available M-F 1-5 pm ET at 800.726-0526 Option 2.
Participants in our Clinical Interpretation (Session 2) of SASSI Training learn about screening and assessment information; giving client feedback; and practice interpretation using SASSI profiles. Upon completion of the session, participants should feel comfortable making clinical interpretations from both the adult SASSI-4 & adolescent SASSI-A3 scales and using the SASSI to engage the client in the treatment process.
Feedback to clients on SASSI profiles is useful in increasing awareness, eliciting further information, and establishing rapport. Presenting the results of the decision rules and discussing scale scores can help people come to grips with the significance of their substance usage and identify treatment goals.
The following is a link to a handout provided in the Clinical Interpretation Session that you are welcome to download for reference when interpreting profile: SASSI SCALES: CLINICAL FEEDBACK.
We encourage you to attend the Clinical Interpretation Session 2 of SASSI training if you have not already and to utilize our free Clinical phone line for consultation and help interpreting profiles at 800.726.0526 Option 2.
Substance use disorders cause problems for countless individuals and society as a whole. Alcohol and drug abuse often underlie difficulties presented as emotional, medical, family, school, or legal problems. These problems are not likely to be resolved until the underlying substance use problem is dealt with. Yet many affected individuals are unable or unwilling to acknowledge their misuse of psychoactive substances, and many human service providers lack the resources to conduct comprehensive diagnostic assessments for substance use disorders on every client in their practices.
Dr. Glenn A. Miller developed the SASSI in response to the need for a screening measure that could identify individuals with a high probability of having a substance use disorder, even if those individuals do not acknowledge substance misuse or symptoms associated with it.
The SASSI is brief, easy to administer, and objectively scored. A client can answer the questionnaire in less than fifteen minutes. The SASSI can be scored and interpreted in a minute or two.
Thus, clients with a high probability of having a substance use disorder can be identified and helped by employee assistance programs, vocational counselors, psychotherapists, medical personnel, criminal justice programs, and other human service providers.
The SASSI is used by human service practitioners throughout the United States and Canada, as well as other countries and is used to help over a million people every year. For information on the accuracy of our screening tools please visit https://sassi.com/reliability-validity/.
Extracted from: Lazowski, L. E., Kimmell, K.S., & Baker, S.L. (2016). The Adult Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory-4 (SASSI-4) User Guide & Manual. Springville, IN: The SASSI Institute.
In the dynamic landscape of addiction screening, assessment and intervention, The SASSI Institute remains dedicated to providing high-quality, reliable tools to professionals across the globe. As we continue to enhance our services and maintain the highest standards, we must occasionally adjust our pricing. Today, we want to discuss a 2025 minimal price increase for our products and services and how it will impact our valued clients.
Why the Increase?
The decision to implement a price increase is never taken lightly. Our commitment to delivering top-notch screening tools is unwavering, and maintaining this level of excellence requires ongoing investment. Here are the primary reasons behind this change:
Continuing Research and Development:
Continuous improvement of our screening tools and delivery options to ensure they remain at the cutting edge of addiction science.
Investment in new technologies and methodologies to enhance the accuracy and reliability of our screening tools and services.
Operational Costs:
Increases in costs for materials, production, and distribution.
Investments in better infrastructure to support seamless customer experiences.
We understand that any change in pricing can raise concerns, especially in fields where budgets are often tight. Therefore, we have made every effort to keep this increase minimal and manageable. Please note that as an added consideration we have chosen to forego any increase to our online training platforms. The adjustment to our Paper & Pencil and SASSI Online options resulted in a nominal average increase of 5%.
At The SASSI Institute, our mission is to support you in your vital work of screening, assessing and treating addiction. This minimal price increase is a step toward ensuring that we can continue to innovate, improve, and deliver the highest quality tools and services, as we continue to collaborate with you. We stand behind you in our mutual resolve that Early Intervention Saves Lives. We appreciate your understanding and continued trust in our products. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those affected by addiction.
Change, while sometimes challenging, is often necessary for growth and improvement. The SASSI Institute remains steadfast in our dedication to providing exceptional tools and services. Thank you for your continued support and partnership.
We wanted to take this opportunity to introduce our new Clinical Director, Mr. David Helton, LMSW, LCDC. David has worked in the behavioral health field in Texas for over 35 years as a clinician, a manager, division director, trainer, an evaluator, a program developer, and a grant writer/reviewer. In addition to training on the SASSI for over 30 years, David has been a member of the SASSI Clinical Team for the last several years assisting on the clinical helpline. David is a passionate and caring individual that brings a vast wealth of understanding of the initiates, correlates and consequences of substance use disorder. But in addition; he is a marvelous communicator able to disseminate complex theoretical paradigms into readily understandable language, which simultaneously assists providers with the sometimes-nuanced interpretations of SASSI clinical results.
Please join us at The SASSI Institute in welcoming David in taking on his new role. We are thrilled to have him continuing collaborations with the SASSI team.
The end of 2023 us upon us and we hope you had a cheerful holiday season with loved ones. The team at The SASSI Institute wishes you a safe and Happy New Year Celebration. We hope 2024 is an extraordinary year for you and yours!
A young man asking me to call an ambulance because he was experiencing snakes biting him. The paramedics came and were wonderfully caring and gentle with him.
A man I’ve known for more than a decade who regularly volunteers and gives money to us. He also struggles with a severe mental illness that’s usually managed well with medication. But unfortunately, he’s become homeless and is living out of a van.
Another man struggling to find a safe place for himself and his wife. She’s dealing with some severe disabilities and needs nursing home care, but they’re struggling to find a place that takes their health insurance (we’re working on that). They’ve been together for 30 years.
A Wendy’s employee recognizing me (I stopped in for an iced tea in between meetings) and offering me a free Frosty and saying, “We appreciate what you do for us.” (I often get credit for what our staff, volunteers, and all you supporters deserve).
These all happened within two hours of us opening the day center this morning.
Written by Forrest Gilmore the Executive Director at Beacon, Inc in Bloomington Indiana
The Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI) is a valuable tool used in various contexts, including community corrections programs. When used in community corrections settings, the SASSI serves several important purposes:
Screening for Substance Use Disorders (SUDs): One of the primary functions of the SASSI in community corrections is to screen individuals under supervision for potential substance use disorders. It helps probation and parole officers identify clients who may be struggling with substance abuse issues.
Risk Assessment and Management: The SASSI provides valuable information about the level of risk that an individual poses in terms of problems related to their substance use. This information helps community corrections officers make informed decisions about supervision levels and interventions. For clients with co-occurring substance use and criminal justice issues, the SASSI helps community corrections officers manage risk more effectively.
Treatment Planning: For individuals identified as having substance use issues, the SASSI results can inform the development of individualized treatment plans. It can help determine the appropriate type and intensity of substance abuse treatment needed to address the client’s specific needs.
Referrals: If the SASSI identifies a client as having a high likelihood of a substance use disorder, community corrections officers can make referrals to specialized substance abuse treatment programs or other appropriate services.
Resource Allocation: The SASSI results can help allocate limited resources within community corrections programs more effectively. As a result, officers can prioritize clients with higher substance abuse risk for more intensive interventions.
Compliance and Accountability: Incorporating the SASSI screening tool into community corrections programs can enhance client accountability and motivation to get treatment, especially among clients who may be unaware or sincerely deluded about their substance use issues.
Documentation and Reporting: The use of the SASSI screening tool in community corrections ensures that evaluations are conducted in a standardized and systematic manner, which is essential for documentation, reporting, and legal compliance.
It’s crucial to note that the SASSI should be administered by professionals who understand the nuances of substance use screening and the ethical considerations involved. Additionally, confidentiality is an important aspect of using the SASSI in a community corrections context, as clients’ rights and privacy must always be protected.
A substance use disorder screening instrument is a tool that is used to identify individuals who may be struggling with substance abuse or addiction. There are several different types of screening instruments that may be used, but one of the most common is the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI).
The SASSI is a self-administered questionnaire that asks a series of questions related to an individual’s past and current use of drugs and alcohol, as well as their behavior and attitudes related to substance abuse. The questions are designed to identify patterns of behavior that may be indicative of a substance use disorder, such as a tendency to lie about drug or alcohol use, or a history of legal or financial problems related to substance abuse.
The SASSI also includes subtle scales which help to identify individuals who may be attempting to conceal their drug and alcohol use. There are several benefits to using the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI) as a substance use disorder screening instrument:
Standardization: The SASSI is a standardized tool that has been extensively researched and validated. This means that it provides a consistent and reliable method for identifying individuals who may be struggling with substance abuse.
Efficiency: The SASSI can be administered quickly and easily, either in paper or electronic format. This makes it a convenient tool for screening large groups of people, such as in a primary care or community health setting.
Sensitivity: The SASSI is designed to be sensitive to a wide range of substance use disorders, including those that may not be immediately apparent to healthcare providers or other professionals.
Validity: The SASSI subtle scales increase the accuracy of the results and ensure that individuals receive appropriate treatment based on their level of need.
Flexibility: The SASSI can be used with a variety of populations, including adults, adolescents, and those with co-occurring mental health disorders.
Overall, the SASSI provides a useful tool for healthcare providers, substance abuse professionals, criminal justice entities and others who are involved in identifying and treating substance use disorders. It can help to ensure that individuals receive appropriate care and support, which can ultimately improve their health and well-being.
To understand the SASSI, you need to understand how the subtle items were selected. Dr. Glenn A. Miller considered several thousand potential items. First, he excluded items that reflected either general maladjustment or, conversely, obvious social desirability. He gave questionnaires containing potential items to both individuals in treatment for substance use and to control subjects. Then he looked for items that the members of one group usually answered differently from the members of the other. Although no single question could identify every person who had a substance use disorder, statistical analyses detected a set of questions that people with substance use disorders consistently answer differently than other people.
The only reason any question was included was that it worked to identify substance use disorders, not that it seemed to be related to substance misuse.
Dr. Miller did not base the SASSI upon a theory of substance use disorders, but rather used statistical analyses to empirically select those items that distinguished between known criterion groups of individuals with and without the disorder. For the purposes of screening, we do not need to understand why people with substance use disorders are more likely than other people to answer True to “I have been tempted to leave home.” What matters is that responses to this question can help us identify people who are likely to need further evaluation for a substance use problem. Research has shown that people who answer the questions similarly to people with substance use disorders have a relatively high probability of having a substance use disorder.
To further deal with the resistance that so often characterizes substance use disorders, individuals with known substance use disorders were asked to answer the questionnaire as if they were applying for an important group membership and were directed to try to hide signs of their shortcomings and problems, particularly those related to the misuse of alcohol and drugs. Analyses of answers given under these “fake good” instructions identified two types of items — those items that distinguished people who had substance use disorders from people without such disorders even when people were instructed to conceal problems, as well as items that helped identify defensive responding.
Statistical analyses revealed that the SASSI could most accurately and usefully identify individuals with substance use disorders if the items were compiled into scales, and decision rules were created for analyzing the scores.
Items were tested with various groups and selected to minimize the effects of gender, age, socio-economic status, ethnicity, and drug of choice.
Extracted from:
Lazowski, L. E., Kimmell, K.S., & Baker, S.L. (2016). The Adult Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory-4 (SASSI-4) User Guide & Manual. Springville, IN: The SASSI Institute.
