Alcohol and Drug Evaluation
What is the Purpose of an Alcohol and Drug Evaluation?
The primary purpose of an Alcohol and Drug Evaluation (sometimes referred to as a Substance Abuse Evaluation for Non-DUI clients) is to comprehensively assess the symptoms present in the individual and consequently determine whether these constitute an addictive disease and/or co-occurring psychiatric disorder. Alcohol and Drug Evaluations are often court-ordered and/or recommended by a criminal defense attorney or probation office for alcohol or drug-related charges. Common causes which most often require individuals to seek an Alcohol and Drug Evaluation include charges such as Public Intoxication, Prostitution, Reckless Driving, Disorderly Conduct, Possession of Controlled Substances, or DFCS referrals in cases where parents must be assessed to determine whether their potential substance abuse or dependence problem is interfering with their capacity to provide a sufficient and safe minimum level of care for their child.
What Should I Expect?
The process is confidentially administered on an outpatient basis and assesses addictive behaviors for a variety of substances including methamphetamines, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, alcohol, and several others. Regardless of the specific substance(s) of abuse, the Alcohol and Drug Evaluation assesses virtually every aspect of the individual’s substance abuse history and contributing factors, including medical, mental health, social, interpersonal, occupational, family, education, and legal history. This process is completed with the use of standardized psychometric tests and relevant corresponding documentation, such as court documents, medical history reports, and previous psychiatric or psychological assessments. Following the comprehensive interview process, the Alcohol and Drug Evaluation will conclude with a highly individualized accurate diagnosis and written report which will include suggested Counseling options when necessary.
Given that an Alcohol and Drug Evaluation, along with the Counseling recommendations provided, are often used to minimize and alleviate court sentences, individuals are highly encouraged to undergo evaluations. This demonstrates to the court and prosecution your willingness to take responsibility for your actions and follow-thru with the suggested Counseling plan. If you or someone you know is in need of an Alcohol and Drug Evaluation, please contact us for a comprehensive, personalized assessment or make a referral.
So, you have been asked to get an evaluation… what’s next? The first thing is the initial correspondence that you have with the company. You will be giving out some basic information such as DOB, name, phone number, and email. With this information, you will be ready to choose a day and time to complete the evaluation. Alcohol and Drug Evaluations typically will not take longer than an hour and are usually finished after 45 minutes. If you are reading this, you likely were alive during the Covid-19 pandemic. Congratulations you made it through 2020! When 2020 occurred, the world opened up a sort of pandora’s box when they let everyone know that you could handle just about everything that used to be in real life as a video conference. Thus telehealth and video conferencing meetings took over the majority of correspondence. This is a system that is now being used even for legal matters which means that AACS Counseling has the ability to do Alcohol and Drug Evaluations in person and virtually.
Here is a quick testimonial from a client who had received a ticket for possession of marijuana less than an OZ in the state of Georgia
“So, when I heard that they decriminalized weed in Fulton County I thought that meant that all I’d be getting if they caught me with it was a fine and that I wouldn’t get arrested. Well, that ended up being mostly true until they told me I had to get an Alcohol and Drug Evaluation. I wound up using AACS Counseling after one of my friends recommended them. From start to finish the process was pretty simple and at the very least well explained. I ended up having to take some classes cause this was like my 4th time getting caught with weed. I was pretty pissed at first but after I got through the first class, I realized it wasn’t like I thought it was gonna be. The instructor was super down-to-earth, funny, and knew his stuff. If you need an Alcohol and Drug Evaluation these are the people to call.”