This month we are featuring ASSIST Plus and ASSIST Portal, a pair of online resources supporting individuals and health practitioners to help identity and support individuals with alcohol and substance use issues. These resources from the Adelaide University aim to increase screening and intervention for substance use disorders across Australia.
“Discussions about alcohol and other drug use can be tricky to navigate with clients. Concerns about stigma, not having the right language, and uncertainty about how to raise the topic without making someone feel singled out are among the most common barriers practitioners tell us they face.
What often goes unrecognised is how closely substance use and mental health are intertwined. Many clients presenting with anxiety, depression, or sleep difficulties may not connect those experiences to their alcohol or other drug use, and many practitioners aren’t routinely asking. Early, structured screening creates an opening for those conversations before problems compound.
The ASSIST Portal and ASSIST Plus were built with that in mind. But they go beyond screening. Both sites offer a range of self-management resources, from coping with cravings and setting goals to challenging unhelpful thoughts, so that once a conversation is opened, there’s somewhere practical for clients to go. That continuity between screening and self-directed support is part of what makes these tools useful in real-world practice.”
-Matthew Stevens, ASSIST Plus and ASSIST Portal team
About ASSIST Plus
ASSIST Plus is a consumer-facing website to access the Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST; 18yrs+) to detect risky and harmful substance use. It offers drug information, an online screening tool, lived experience testimonials and self-help resources, such as how to cope with cravings, goal-sertting, assertiveness training, and challenging unhelpful thoughts.
The site also contains My eASSIST, an online screening tool offering instant feedback and advice on how to reduce risk and seek help.
Users can access the screening tool through the website or the app (ASSIT Check-up; available in Vietnamese).
About ASSIST Portal
ASSIST Portal is a website to assist health practitioners to administer the ASSIST screening tools to detect risky and harmful substance use. The portal offers a range of tools including ASSIST (18yrs+), ASSIST-Lite (brief, 18yrs+), and ASSIST Youth (10-14yrs; 15-17yrs), with fillable PDF forms and automatic scoring. The ASSIST Portal website also features drug information, guides for clinicians, and take-home information for clients such as self-help guides and coping strategies.
The ASSIST Portal offers adapted measures to use with patients in a variety of settings including:
- New patients
- Older adults
- In emergency rooms
- In routine consultation
- Community settings
ASSIST and ASSIST-Lite available as apps (ASSIST Checkup – available in Vietnamese; ASSIST Checkup Lite) and via the website.
Who is ASSIST Plus and ASSIST Portal for?
ASSIST Plus is designed for individuals who consume substances to self-assess, or for people who are concerned about another person’s alcohol or other drug use.
ASSIST Portal is designed for health and welfare professionals to administer screening tools and develop their knowledge and skills on how to assess and intervene with substance use disorders.
Benefits for ASSIST Plus and ASSIST Portal
The ASSIST Plus and ASSIST Portal websites offer accessible tools and resources for health professionals, individuals and their friends and family. The resources are available at any time, in any place.
Is there a cost to use ASSIST Plus and ASSIST Portal?
ASSIST Plus and ASSIST Portal are both free to access, and their ASSIST Checkup app is free to download.
How to access ASSIST Plus and ASSIST Portal
ASSIST Plus is available online at https://assistplus.com.au/ and ASSIST Portal is available online at https://assistportal.com.au/.
The ASSIST Checkup and ASSIST Checkup Lite apps are available to download on Apple and Android smartphone devices.
ASSIST Plus and ASSIST Portal Research and Evaluation
The ASSIST and ASSIST-Lite screening measures that underpin ASSIST Plus and the ASSIST Portal have been researched and evaluated for reliability and validity. These screening tools are widely used internationally, with the ASSIST Bibliography summarising over 850 peer‑reviewed publications, showcasing the tool’s versatility and impact across various clinical and research settings.
See the full ASSIST Bibliography here.
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