A substance abuse evaluation is the first step in recovery, and it may be key to finding the best treatment plan for you.
Here’s how it’s done: the addiction counselor asks you a bunch of questions to figure out the extent of your addiction, your family history, and any significant factors that may contribute to treatment.
Then, you can start discussing treatment options and different therapy types that may help you.
But where to get a substance abuse evaluation?
It’s usually offered at treatment centers for free. Here at Long Island Treatment Center, you can get your evaluation through a phone call. All you have to do is submit a form, and our team will contact you.
Here’s everything you need to know about substance abuse evaluations:
Table of Contents
What Is a Substance Abuse Evaluation?
A substance abuse evaluation is a test used to assess the extent of someone’s addiction to alcohol or drugs. The evaluation is usually done by an addiction counselor, and it includes a bunch of questions meant to help the person suffering from addiction figure out the next step.
Any treatment center will typically offer an assessment before the treatment starts, so the treatment plan can be adjusted according to the patient’s needs.
What Is the Purpose of a Substance Abuse Evaluation?
A substance abuse evaluation is essential to determine how far the addiction is. It can be the cornerstone of the treatment plan because it helps the doctors figure out the best course of action.
Here’s how a substance abuse evaluation helps people suffering from addiction:
Assess the Severity of the Addiction
The end goal of each abuse evaluation may differ. Some people do it because it’s ordered by the court, and others do it because their families want assurance. However, the main purpose of the evaluation is the same across all cases: to assess the severity of the addiction.
Determining how severe your addiction is can be the key to creating your treatment plan. It helps your doctors figure out how dependent you are on the drug and how severe the withdrawal will be.
On top of that, learning how severe the addiction is helps the doctors decide whether you’ll need a residential treatment plan, or you’ll be okay getting treated at home.
Determine the Best Course of Action
Treatment plans of addiction patients are individually tailored according to many factors. Your family history, substance abuse history, and surrounding environment all contribute to how your treatment will go.
Besides, there are plenty of different therapies for drug addiction, including behavioral therapy, contingency management, rational emotive behavior therapy, etc. Each patient may need a different type of therapy depending on their case.
During the substance abuse evaluation, the addiction counselor will learn about your life, how your family is, whether you went through treatment before, etc. Gaining this knowledge will help determine the best course of action and the most appropriate therapy type.
Identify Mental Health Disorders
If the substance abuse is accompanied by a mental health disorder, it’ll need a specific treatment plan that acknowledges both conditions.
That’s why an evaluation is essential—because it gives the addiction counselors a comprehensive view of the patient’s condition, including any mental health disorder they’re suffering from.
The evaluation should also determine whether the abuse is limited to one substance or includes multiple substances. In either case, the treatment plan would have to accommodate that.
Is a Substance Abuse Evaluation Necessary?
A substance abuse evaluation is necessary to start your addiction recovery. Without it, the people responsible for your treatment won’t have enough knowledge about your case or the severity of your addiction.
Besides, a substance abuse evaluation is mandatory in some cases. For example, if a person suffering from addiction gets a DUI, commits any crime while intoxicated, or is involved in a custody dispute, they’ll likely get a court order to get a substance abuse evaluation.
On top of that, some employers may demand a substance abuse evaluation if they observe odd behavior from an employee. This behavior can range from showing erratic behavior to being intoxicated on the job.
In other cases, the evaluation isn’t mandatory, but it provides peace of mind to concerned family members and helps them understand the case.
If a parent suspects drug use in their child, an evaluation will give them all the knowledge they need to start treatment.
How Is a Substance Abuse Evaluation Done?
The substance abuse evaluation involves the addiction counselor asking you a series of questions. These questions will likely discuss your family background, medical history, mental health history, legal history, and patterns of substance use.
Based on the answers and your responses to the questions, the counselor will evaluate your data and prepare a report for your case. The report should include the available treatment options and an accurate diagnosis of the addiction’s severity.
You’ll then get a recommendation either not to seek further treatment, to stay under monitoring for further assessment, or to start immediate therapy. Some people will be directed to detoxification first, while some people will be enrolled in intensive outpatient programs—it differs from one case to the other.
You’ll find that each treatment facility has its own process for the evaluation, but the main concept stays the same across most centers.
Where to Get a Substance Abuse Evaluation?
You can get a substance abuse evaluation at the treatment center you’re choosing. In most cases, it’s free because it’s pre-treatment, and you can do it either online or through a phone call. Some centers will also offer a face-to-face evaluation.
Here at Long Island Treatment Center, you can submit a form on our contact page, and our team will contact you for the evaluation. They’ll gain a better understanding of your case and discuss your options.
Final Thoughts
A substance abuse evaluation is the first step in your road to recovery. It’s essential to determine how severe your addiction is and find the best course of treatment available.
A lot of treatment centers offer it for free, and it usually only includes a series of questions that you have to answer honestly.