It is not uncommon to feel distressed and anxious while awaiting a substance abuse evaluation or assessment. However, knowing what will happen in such a session can help calm your nerves and keep you at ease and ready.
This article will, therefore, disclose the circumstances under which one may be required to undertake a drug and alcohol assessment, what it is and what to expect.
What is a drug and alcohol assessment?
When is it carried out?
More often than not, a drug and alcohol assessment is carried out following a screening program that determines whether or not a patient suffers from a substance abuse disorder. Screening entails asking articulate questions to evaluate the presence of a problem; the results are usually a simple yes or no.
Conversely, drug and alcohol assessment involves an in-depth evaluation of the nature and extent of the problem, making a diagnosis, and instigating a treatment plan. This may take around 60 to 90 minutes.
Drug and alcohol assessments are performed to:
- Determine the extremity of the patient’s substance abuse.
- Recognize an existing substance addiction.
- Evaluate the impact of substance abuse in the patient’s life.
- Determine the components needed for an appropriate addiction treatment plan.
- Help keep track of the addict’s health.
It may be carried out during the start of an addiction treatment program or when it’s a statutory procedure prior to gaining employment or following a court order by a judge – this is often in light of suspected substance abuse by either the defendant or the plaintiff.
Who conducts a drug and alcohol assessment?
Substance misuse assessments are performed in a private setting by either social workers, doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, therapists, psychologists, or any other trained and licensed professionals. This applies to screening programs as well.
What will you need for a drug and alcohol assessment?
While the requirements for an assessment may vary from one state to the other, some must-have documents to carry along with you may include the following:
- A copy of your arrest report or criminal history.
- A motor vehicle report (MVR) preferably dating seven years back. This is proof of your driving history as it includes information about your license class and expiration, traffic violations, vehicular crimes, restrictions, endorsements, and other intel regarding your driving background.
- A copy of your Risk Reduction Program (RRP) report in the event that you have ever attended the aforementioned program.
That said, be sure to verify all required documents prior to attending your drug and alcohol assessment.
What happens during a drug and alcohol assessment?
Drug assessment may involve the following methods:
An interview with the medical professional conducting the assessment
Most assessors would first begin with evaluating your alcohol and drug abuse history. In the interview, a questionnaire tool is largely used.
For instance, during an alcohol and/or drug use assessment, the CAGE questionnaire is used. CAGE acronym stands for:
C – cut down
A – annoyance by criticism
G – guilty conscience
E – eye-opener
There are four major questions involved in the CAGE questionnaire. These are:
- Have you ever felt the need to cut down your drinking?
- Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking or drug use problem?
- Have you felt guilty for substance and alcohol abuse?
- Have you used a drug or alcohol in the morning to kill a hangover or steady your nerves (eye-opener)?
Each of these questions is answered with a simple yes or no. With every yes answer, the assessor comes closer to a solid diagnosis that the patient is drug dependent.
The Addiction Severity Index
An addiction severity index (ASI) is an assessment tool used to address 7 key areas as listed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). These are:
- Medical status
- Employment and support status
- Legal status
- Alcohol use
- Drug use
- Family/ social status
- Psychiatric status
Questions asked during ASI focus on the past 30 days and the lifetime of an addict. It uses a severity score rating based on a scale of 0-9 where 0-1 implies no problems or treatment required while 8-9 implies great urgency of a treatment plan.
Diagnostic Interview Schedule IV (DIS)
A DIS is a structured questionnaire-guided interview that assesses for psychiatric disorders such as substance dependence, schizophrenia, and depression.
It is primarily conducted by a mental health professional and would last about two and a half hours.
Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory IV (SASSI)
SASSI is a screening questionnaire tool used to identify adults and adolescents who potentially suffer from substance abuse disorder.
Unlike a regular interview, the SASSI evaluation is most effective for patients ready to self-report. It includes both subtle and face valid items which take about 15 minutes to complete, score and interpret.
Court-ordered drug and alcohol assessment
Court-ordered assessments are not all that different from the private agency ones. The primary difference is that the court would be made aware of your results and compliance during the assessment and treatment plan. Afterward, the judge and jury would reach a verdict.
Such assessments may be ordered by the court under the following cases:
- A driving under the influence (DUI) charge.
- Drug trafficking and distribution.
- Public intoxication.
- Unlicensed possession of drugs and/or alcohol.
- Disorderly conduct while intoxicated.
The decision of the judge may include attending to the following mandatory treatment programs:
- 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings or group therapy sessions.
- Counselling programs.
- Rehabilitation program – can be inpatient or outpatient.
- Random drug and/or alcohol tests.
- Drug Use Risk Reduction Program.
- Substance misuse education classes.
Court-monitored treatment plans are often accompanied by a probation period where a probation officer will oversee your transition to sober living. The officer will also watch for any involvement in criminal activity and report back to the court.
Are drug tests part of drug and alcohol assessments?
Sporadic drug testing is bound to happen along with your treatment plan following an assessment. Drug tests help notify your supervisors of any relapse and serve as a clear indicator of your progress through the treatment.
During the assessment, an institution may or may not choose to perform a drug test.
These tests serve to evaluate and define the precise treatment that would be beneficial to your well-being. They should, therefore, not shun you from taking a drug and alcohol assessment session.
References
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
https://dui.drivinglaws.org/resources/dui-and-dwi/the-importance-dui-evaluation
