Alcohol Substance Abuse Evaluation, Assessment, Counseling

Are you facing legal charges due to alcohol, drug use, or substance abuse? Or perhaps consequences at work or school? You may be asked to complete an alcohol, drug, or substance use assessment or evaluation. Sorting through what needs to be done when facing potentially serious consequences can be overwhelming and stressful. It is natural to have questions about what to expect if you need to complete an alcohol substance abuse evaluation .

Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions. 

The purpose is for an independent evaluator to learn more about you to support a substance use disorder assessment.   This includes talking with you about what you were using (drugs, alcohol, or other substances), the impact that it had on your life, and how this, in turn, impacts your relationships, work, family life,  school, and general well-being. 

You will be asked a series of questions regarding your alcohol or substance use.  Your counselor will ask these questions,  and you will complete a series of written assessments.  The information gathered will include the following:  your history of using alcohol and/or other drugs,  any diagnosis of substance abuse, previous alcohol or drug  treatments, your thoughts on future use, significant medical problems, mental health concerns, sources of support and resources to help you in  making positive life changes, your living environment, and the  consequences from your alcohol and/or drug use, including legal issues, employment problems, and relationship problems.

The goal of asking these questions is to understand the chemicals (alcohol, drugs or other substance use) you  used, how much, the context of your using, and how your use did or did not impact your life. 

Typically alcohol. drug or substance use assessments are requested by lawyers, the courts, employers, schools,  or family members. Usually, something has happened, an accident, a legal charge, poor performance, or changes in behavior that prompted someone to express concerns about your alcohol and/or drug use or substance abuse.