Tag: SASSI Clinical

Complimentary SASSI Clinical Interpretation Assistance for Professionals

SASSI Institute is proud to continue to offer its customers a free Clinical Help Line to assist professionals in the use and interpretation of Substance Use Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI) screenings performed on their clients. The Help Line is available Monday through Friday (except holidays) from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM (EST) at 800-697-2774 (Option 2). This dedicated service provides direct access to experienced SASSI-trained clinicians who can assist with questionnaire administration, scoring, and interpreting basic or complex client profiles.

Accurately identifying and addressing substance use disorders (SUD) is both critical and challenging. The SASSI screening tool can be an important part of that diagnostic process. Especially when working with clients who are highly resistant or in denial, clinical interpretation of screening results can often leave clinicians with uncertainty and questions. That is exactly where our free Clinical Help Line comes into play. Our experienced licensed clinicians can provide insights into how the individual SASSI scale scores could be interpreted and how this information could potentially be used to best benefit the client.

Our Clinical Help Line is a free confidential resource designed specifically to support professionals who use the SASSI tool with their clients. Utilizing this resource allows you to potentially learn more about your client and build an even stronger rapport with them by increasing their awareness and understanding of how their substance use may be impacting their life. Discussing the potential meanings underlying their individual raw scores on each of the SASSI scales can help clients better comprehend the significance of their behaviors and provide the professional and client the opportunity to collaboratively identify goals to address these issues.

The next time you review a SASSI profile and need a second opinion or clarification prior to discussing the results with your client, don’t guess—consult with the experts. Call 800-697-2774 (Option 2) Monday thru Friday from 1:00pm – 5:00pm EST to keep your clinical screenings accurate, informed, and highly effective. And remember, it is free of charge and there is no limit to the number of times per day or week that you can call to discuss your clients’ SASSI results! Give it a try!

Coming soon – Clinical Q&A Webinar– Register Now/No Cost!

We invite you to join us for a free one-hour SASSI Clinical Q&A webinar hosted by our Clinical Director, David Helton, LMSW, LCDC. The Q&A is for anyone new to using the SASSI, those considering using the SASSI, or seasoned veterans at screening with the SASSI. The Q&A is scheduled from 11 am – Noon ET on: July 14th, 2026. You can save your spot by clicking here.

We welcome you to share profiles to discuss with the group by sending them (de-identified) via email any time prior to the session to scarlett@sassi.com. These profiles will help others learn about SASSI and offer insight into the various profile configurations.

Note: Q&A sessions do not provide CEUs and are not a substitute for SASSI Training. To register for a SASSI Training webinar. please visit https://sassi.com/sassi-training-online/.

Screening Accuracy in Dual Diagnosis Clients and Clients with Diagnoses other than SUD

Individuals who are screened for substance use disorders often have presenting complaints related to other psychological and medical health issues, as well as difficulty in functioning and adjustment in other life domains (e.g., work, parenting, financial, and legal). It is important, therefore, that a screening instrument used to identify individuals in need of further evaluation for substance use disorders is able to discriminate between SUD and other mental health issues or poor adjustment and functioning.

Analyses were conducted to evaluate the accuracy of SASSI-4 SUD screening out-comes in a sample of individuals who had co-occurring psychiatric disorders (i.e., dual diagnoses for SUD and one or more psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc.) and a sample of individuals who were diagnosed as not having a substance use disorder but who did have one or more non-SUD related diagnoses (i.e., were criterion negative for SUD).

Findings are presented in Table 18 and indicate excellent SASSI-4 screening sensitivity in detecting SUD in clients who had both SUD and another psychological disorder. Findings also showed high specificity in producing negative SASSI-4 screening outcomes for individuals who were diagnosed with non-SUD related disorders only. Overall SUD screening accuracy in this sample was 97%.  These findings provide evidence of construct validity and the precision of the SASSI-4 in identifying likely SUD specifically, rather than identifying individuals who may be in need of treatment for life stressors, poor adjustment and functioning, or other psychological health issues.

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. 

Supporting Your Practice: Interpretation Guidelines and a Thank You

Substance use disorder is an important topic in our society. The internet, social media, and television provide us with information about new treatment programs and the ongoing political discussion of the seriousness of the problem.

The SASSI Institute gives thanks to the dedicated workers who, day-by-day, face the task of helping people who have become part of the fabric of pain that surrounds substance-related disorders. The daily efforts of practitioners, support staff, and program managers may not be newsworthy, but those efforts reflect a  sense of caring and commitment that is inspiring.

We strive to make the SASSI as user friendly as possible. The following are links to download the basic Guidelines for interpreting the SASSI scales.

                                             Adult SASSI-4 Guidelines

                                             Adolescent SASSI-A3 Guidelines

As always, our clinicians are available to help you with questions about administering and/or interpreting the SASSI on the Clinical Helpline at 800-697-2774 Option 2 Monday through Friday, 1 pm to 5 pm (EST).

The Value of the SASSI in University Counseling Centers

1. Benefits

  • Early identification: The SASSI’s screening tools (the SASSI) can help identify students who may be struggling with substance use disorders, even if they are not openly acknowledging the issue.
  • Targeted interventions: The SASSI can provide valuable insights for tailoring interventions and treatment plans to individual student needs.
  • Reduced stigma: The SASSI is a tool for understanding and supporting students, rather than a judgmental “test.” 

2. Training and education

  • Accessible training: We offer workshops and webinars (live or recorded) for counseling center staff on the proper administration, scoring, and interpretation of the SASSI.
  • Free resources: Staff can utilize our free clinical helpline and free clinical Q&A webinars to address questions and concerns related to using the SASSI.
  • Collaboration with academic programs: We welcome partnerships with university departments to integrate SASSI training into relevant courses (e.g., counseling, social work, psychology). 

3. How to integrate SASSI into existing practices

  • Part of intake: Incorporate the SASSI as a routine part of the intake process for all students seeking counseling services.
  • Utilize online options: Online administration is convenient and SASSI Online can be used for telehealth and remote screening, including increased accessibility, client comfort, immediate results, and streamlined record-keeping.
  • Referral protocols: Clear protocols for referring students based on their SASSI results to appropriate internal or external resources, including addiction counseling,  or specialized treatment programs can be developed. 

By implementing these strategies, University Counseling Centers can effectively use the SASSI and provide crucial support to students struggling with substance use concerns. 

What is The SASSI Institute’s Clinical Help Line?

The SASSI Institute’s Clinical Help Line is a free resource designed to support clinicians and professionals using the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI). It provides assistance with clinical interpretation of scores on each of the SASSI scales; helps individuals understand typical trends seen in SASSI profiles and how to use that information in educating clients, making referrals for clients, or developing treatment plans; provides assistance in manual scoring issues; and addresses any other specific SASSI-related questions.

Typical Clinical Help Line services include:

· Clarifying how to interpret complex or ambiguous results.

· Answering questions about the SASSI tools’ methodology or scoring.

· Providing recommendations for follow-up based on screening results.

· Offering advice on integrating SASSI assessments into broader treatment planning.

This service helps clinicians maximize the effectiveness of the SASSI tools in identifying and addressing substance use issues in diverse client populations. The Clinical Help Line is staffed by experienced, licensed/certified professionals with many years of experience and expertise in the SASSI instruments, substance use disorders and screening and assessment. They are available to answer your questions Monday thru Friday from 1:00pm to 5:00pm EST. This is a totally free service so give our friendly clinicians a call and allow us to help you make your experience with the SASSI even better for you and your clients!

Last Clinical Q&A Until Summer | Register Now!

We wanted to welcome you to join us for a free one-hour online SASSI Q&A session hosted by our Clinical Director, Kristin Kimmell, LCSW, LCAC. This will be our last free Q&A session until Summer.

The Q&A is scheduled from Noon-1pm ET on: April 16th. You can save your spot by clicking here. We welcome you to share profiles to discuss with the group by sending them (de-identified) via email any time prior to the session to scarlett@sassi.com. These profiles will help others learn about the SASSI and offer insight into the various profile configurations.

Note: Q&A sessions do not provide CEUs and are not a substitute for SASSI Training.

Upcoming Clinical Q&A | Register Now!

We wanted to let you know that we are still offering our free one-hour online Clinical Q&A sessions hosted by our Clinical Director, Kristin Kimmell, LCSW, LCAC.

We enjoy hearing how you are using the SASSI in your clinical practice and agencies as well as answering your questions. We currently have three more free Q&As coming up this year. You can reserve your spot and view available dates and times by clicking here. If you have profiles you would like to share with the group for discussion, please send them (de-identified) via email any time prior to the session to scarlett@sassi.com. Your contributions would be of great value.

Also, a reminder that we have a live certified SASSI training webinar on Administration & Scoring of the paper & pencil version of the SASSI on November 28th and Clinical Interpretation on December 5th. You can register by clicking here.

Note that the Q&A sessions do not provide CEUs and are not a substitute for SASSI Training. SASSI training provides 3.5 NAADAC CEs per session.

We hope to see you there!

Clinical Q&A and Live SASSI Training Webinar 

We are pleased that people have been joining us for our free one-hour online Clinical Q&A sessions hosted by our Clinical Director, Kristin Kimmell, LCSW, LCAC.  

We enjoy hearing how you are using the SASSI in your clinical practice and agencies as well as answering your questions and speaking to you all.  We have scheduled additional sessions that we hope you can join in on. You can reserve your spot and view available dates and times by clicking here. If you have profiles you would like to share with the group for discussion, please send them (de-identified) via email any time prior to the session to scarlett@sassi.com. Your contributions would be of great value. Also, a reminder that we have a live webinar on Administration & Scoring of the paper & pencil version of the SASSI on April 18th and Clinical Interpretation on April 25th. You can register by clicking here.   

Note that the Q&A sessions do not provide CEUs and are not a substitute for SASSI Training. SASSI training provides 3.5 NAADAC CEs per session. 

We hope to see you there! 

REMINDER: More Live Clinical Q&A Sessions Coming Up

Please join us for our free Clinical Q&A sessions online. The sessions are hosted by our Clinical Director, Kristin Kimmell, LCSW, LCAC, and last approximately one-hour. We invite you to ask questions or share experiences regarding unusual or difficult profiles you may have come across. However, all questions are welcome. We would be delighted if you have profiles you would like to share with the group for discussion. Please send them (de-identified) via email any time prior to the session to scarlett@sassi.com. Your contributions would be of great value.

The next upcoming dates are Tuesday, February 21st and Tuesday, March 21st from 1-2 pm ET. Click here to register today.

Note that these Q&A sessions do not provide CEUs and are not a substitute for SASSI Training.

See you there!