Screening tool detects teen SA in behavioral healthcare settings.

Recognizing that teen substance abuse often goes undetected in primary care settings, officials at PacifiCare Behavioral Health, a managed behavioral healthcare organization, last month released results from a study that found that behavioral health clinicians reported a lower detection of teen substance abuse in their patients compared to the results of self-reported questionnaires.

The study, involving adolescents in behavioral health settings, found that 13 percent of teens reported using alcohol or drugs at least "sometimes" within the past week.

Through the implementation of their proprietary ALERT (Algorithms for Effective Reporting and Treatment) outcomes management system, the Santa Ana, Calif.-based organization is trying to ensure that critical issues, such as teen drug abuse, do not go undetected, said PacifiCare officials.

ALERT uses a self-assessment instrument, administered by the clinician, called the Youth Life Status Questionnaire (YLSQ), a 30-item consumer …