
Bite-Sized Learnings Nav
These short recorded learning modules are on an array of topics related to improving identification of depression and alcohol use disorder in primary care practices and transitioning inpatient psychiatric patients to outpatient care. These were developed by the Quality Innovation Network National Coordinating Center (QIN NCC) in partnership with Dr. Ed Boudreaux, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Getting to Know Dr. Ed Boudreaux
- Who is Dr. Ed Boudreaux? Dr. Boudreaux is a clinical health psychologist with experience in integrated behavioral healthcare across a variety of settings, including emergency medicine, inpatient, and primary care. He specializes in creating and studying models that optimize the chances of successful implementation and sustainability of integrated behavioral health through continuous quality improvement methods and technology-facilitated interventions.
- Current position/work: Dr. Boudreaux is a Professor of Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry, and Quantitative Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He is also Vice Chair for Research with the Department of Emergency Medicine.

Screening for Depression and Alcohol: Pathways for Implementation

In about 10 minutes, dive into the pros and cons of different screening tools for depression and alcohol and learn about your options for implementation at the clinical level.
Integrating Behavioral Health into Primary Care: Descartes Was Wrong

Following this presentation, you will have a stronger ability to determine the level of integration present in a primary care practice and you will know where to go if you want to rapidly access more in depth information related to integrated primary care and to keep up with the latest developments in this rapidly evolving field.
Handling Positive Screens: Managing Pandora’s Box

In less than 15 minutes, learn the best practices and appropriate tools for use when your patient screens positively for depression and/or risky alcohol use.
Depression and Alcohol: Enabling Screening and Better Care with the Electronic Health Record

In this 10 minute presentation, learn how to enable screening for depression and risky alcohol use and improve care using the electronic health record. Specifically, hear the basic requirements and actions towards best practices for implementing, promoting, and tracking screening using an Electronic Health Record.
Motivational Interviewing: Basics and Resources
In this 12-minute bite-sized learning presentation, hear how motivational interviewing can be used to help address depression and alcohol misuse, and where to find training and resources.
Alcohol Screening in Primary Care: What’s in a Name? (AUDIT, AUDIT1-3, USAUDIT)

This bite-sized learning video reviews the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) planning and implementation guide that is a one-stop shop, for primary care practices to help decide which alcohol screens to use and what to do when screens are positive.
Additional Resources: The USAUDIT is a brief screening questionnaire that detects problematic alcohol use. The items of the USAUDIT improve upon the World Health Organization-developed AUDIT questionnaire, already in wide use among medical settings, to better reflect norms in the United States. The following tools were developed to be used as printable screening instruments
Introducing Alcohol Screening Role Play

In this 5-minute enhanced bite-sized learning session, Dr. Boudreaux role-plays the key components of introducing alcohol screening to primary care patients. It includes role plays of three common scenarios to provide tangible examples of screening introduction. This role-playing format is intended to enable providers to visualize how to implement screening in their day-to-day practice using common scenarios and tools.
How to Administer Frontline Screener for Risky Alcohol Use Role Play
During this short role-play video, we’ll review two common scenarios for administering a screener for risky alcohol use.
Positive Suicide Screens: What Do I Do Now?
During this video, Dr. Boudreaux will discuss challenges associated with suicide screeners and how to effectively manage a positive suicide screen. Following this video, we hope practitioners will have increased confidence in administering a suicide screener in practice.
Exemplary Integrated Primary Care Sites: Lessons for Depression and Alcohol Screening
During this bite-sized learning, Dr. Boudreaux will provide a quick look into exemplary integrated care sites and learn from observations to better screen for depression and alcohol. Following this short webinar, participants will be better prepared to use lessons learned from the “Guidebook of Professional Practices for Behavior Health and Primary Care Integration” to improve screening for depression and alcohol misuse in primary care settings.
Discussing Positive Alcohol Screens: The Basics

During this role-play bite-sized learning, listeners will learn how to discuss and interpret a positive alcohol screening with a primary care patient. This role-play includes strategies for handling mildly resistant patients who minimize their use or who do not realize their use is above low risk drinking guidelines. This is part 1 of a 3 part series, each iteration will demonstrate tactics for discussing positive alcohol screens with increasingly difficult patients.
Additional Resources: The following resources may useful when discussing positive alcohol screens with patients.
Discussing Positive Alcohol Screens with a Moderately Resistant Patient

During this role-play, we’ll dive deeper into how to discuss and interpret a positive alcohol screening in primary care with a resistant patient with more severe alcohol-related problems. Following this video, practitioners will have increased confidence in discussing a positive alcohol screen with a moderately resistant patient using the ‘rolling with resistance’ and ‘decisional balance’ techniques. This is part 2 of a 3 part series; each iteration will demonstrate tactics for discussing positive alcohol screens with increasingly difficult patients.
Discussing Positive Alcohol Screens with a Challenging Patient

During this role-play, we’ll dive deeper into how to discuss and interpret a positive alcohol screening in primary care with a challenging patient with severe alcohol-related problems. Following this video, practitioners will have increased confidence in discussing a positive alcohol screen with a challenging patient using personalized feedback and reflective listening. This is part 3 of a 3 part series; each iteration will demonstrate tactics for discussing positive alcohol screens with increasingly difficult patients.
Basic Alcohol Counseling Strategies – Low-risk Patient

During this 10-minute video, we’ll watch two different role play scenarios featuring a physician and patient discussing alcohol consumption, possible health factors of surpassing low-risk consumption guidelines, and simple tips to lower alcohol consumption. Following this video, practitioners will have increased confidence in discussing alcohol consumption using the low-risk consumption guidelines. This is part 1 of a 3 part series on basic alcohol counseling strategies.
Basic Alcohol Counseling Strategies - Medical Problems & Alcohol Use

During this 11-minute video, we’ll watch two different role play scenarios featuring a physician and patient discussing alcohol consumption contraindicating medications, possible health factors of surpassing low-risk consumption guidelines, and simple tips to lower alcohol consumption. Following this video, practitioners will have increased confidence in discussing alcohol consumption contraindicating medication using the low-risk consumption guidelines. This is part 2 of a 3 part series on basic alcohol counseling strategies.
Additional Resources and Information:
Basic Alcohol Counseling Strategies - Readiness to Change

Watch this bite-sized learning to showing three scenarios featuring a physician initiating change talk with a patient who screened positive for alcohol consumption over the low-risk guidelines. Following this video, clinicians will have increased confidence using change talk to engage patients in understanding and/or applying the low-risk consumption guidelines. This is part 3 of a 3 part series on basic alcohol counseling strategies.
Additional Resources and Information:
- https://blog.primaris.org/how-to-improve-health-outcomes-when-primary-care-patients-dont-seem-to-listen
- Case Western Center for Evidence Based Practices has a nice downloadable version of the rulers with descriptions of how to use them here: https://www.centerforebp.case.edu/resources/tools/readiness-ruler
- TMF Resources:
- Motivational Interviewing in Primary Care PDF