Drug and Alcohol Evaluation for Court

Getting a Substance Abuse Evaluation and Find Treatment Options

Your court case is moving along nicely, but there is one more thing you need to do before a judge determines what happens next: a drug and alcohol evaluation for court. These intensive reports detail your substance abuse history and recommend participation in rehab programs when they might benefit you more than other consequences.

What can you expect from an alcohol and drug evaluation?

The evaluation process covers your drug and alcohol history and may include a urinalysis or blood test to keep you honest about your substance use. A thorough report will also cover any underlying mental health issues. Recommendations from a certified treatment agency are weighed heavily.

Catalina Behavioral Health offers both initial evaluations and an array of treatment programs that suit your needs, whatever they may be. Our enrollment team can help you take the next steps with a quick, no-obligation call. Here’s what you should know before getting your evaluation.

What Does an Alcohol and Drug Evaluation Cover?

Are you afraid that your substance misuse has gone too far for a judge to turn a blind eye to it? The legal system takes a comprehensive assessment of alcohol and drug use that contributes to negative consequences. What should you know about the evaluation process?

Drug and Alcohol History

In most scenarios, the first thing that a substance abuse evaluation considers is your history. They want to know what substances you take, how much you take, and how often this occurs for you. Oftentimes, they will order a drug and alcohol urinalysis screening to get an accurate gauge of current substance use.

It makes no sense to lie about your use of controlled substances because they will show up on this test.

Honesty is always the best policy when talking with your clinician or substance abuse counselor. Courts may have serious consequences if you claim abstinence when a urinalysis or blood test tells a different story.

Mental Health Assessment Process

In addition to assessing alcohol and drug dependence, the courts also consider underlying reasons for substance use. Your mental health is important to most judges and may help them determine the best certified treatment agency for your care.

Assessments include questionnaires about your anxiety and mood. Prepare to answer lots of questions about contributing factors to your substance use.

Recommendations from a Certified Treatment Facility

Recommendations from treatment providers are the last component of an evaluation. Based on their assessment and time spent with you, they know whether you should be released to return to your community and responsibilities.

These recommendations are rated quite highly if a judge requests them.

In addition to a recommendation from treatment programs, your closest friends and family may provide references. This lets the judge know how you’re really doing following rehab or participation in treatment programs. If your loved ones state that you’re still using, it won’t go well for you in court.

Why Would You Undergo a Court-Ordered Evaluation?

When will you face a court-ordered evaluation for substance misuse? Evaluations are critical to reinforce a decision about where you will go next. Based on his or her findings, the judge could recommend more tailored plans like jail time for an offense or a stint in a rehab program.

They want to identify whether substance abuse is an ongoing issue for you. Could it be treated more effectively with targeted care? Addiction often doesn’t improve with jail time and may require further help. They’re more likely to recommend education and therapy if you’ve never been to rehab.

Be honest about drug and alcohol use. It could decide whether you get rehab or jail time. Keep in mind you’ll be supervised by a probation officer to ensure participation and abstinence.

Where to Get a Drug and Alcohol Evaluation Completed

If you have the option to present a drug and alcohol evaluation to the court, take advantage of the ways it can help your case. Treatment allows for more help than support group meetings like AA on its own.

Catalina offers evaluations to assist you in getting the help you need through the justice system.

Find the Treatment Programs that are Right for You

At Catalina Behavioral Health, we offer a continuum of care. Services range from sub-acute detox to residential treatment programs and outpatient. Our structured system may be enough for a judge to sentence you to treatment over jail time.

Inpatient gives you the most comprehensive care with help available night and day. Intensive outpatient allows you to spend a few hours with us daily and return home at night to practice your new skills. You will likely transition from one program to the other.

We’ll be able to meet your needs in person instead of using virtual evaluations without tangible next steps.

Personalized Assessments for Custom Care Plans

We offer personalized assessments and written reports on how drug information school and various treatment programs impact substance use. We don’t believe in a cookie-cutter approach that forces squares into circles. Instead, we offer comprehensive assessments with plans tailored to your needs.

With us, you get individual counseling sessions, group therapy, and more.

Our clinicians are well-versed in various treatment modalities, from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) and everything in between. We teach you new coping skills so that you never have to return to drugs and alcohol to cope.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment for Mental Health

We also offer dual-diagnosis treatment for mental health issues such as mood disorders, anxiety, and PTSD. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, one in four adults with a mental illness also struggles with substance use disorder.

Get the help you need under one roof. Our extensive treatment plans consider the whole person instead of focusing all our efforts on your substance abuse.

Contact Catalina for Alcohol and Drug Evaluation Support

Are you looking for a facility for a drug and alcohol evaluation for court? We offer support when you need a report that details a need for treatment instead of penalties and jail time. Catalina Behavioral Health exists to help you take the first steps toward recovery.

In a quick phone call, we answer all questions about our programs, verify your insurance benefits, and schedule your alcohol and drug evaluation.

Don’t wait another day to seek treatment for substance misuse. Reach out to Catalina Behavioral Health today to reserve your spot in one of our comprehensive programs!

References

1. Peters, R. H., & Peyton, E. (n.d.). Guideline for Drug Courts on screening and assessment.
2. Chapter 3: Substance abuse treatment, testing, and abstinence (probation and supervised release conditions). United States Courts. (n.d.).
3. McHugh, R. K., Hearon, B. A., & Otto, M. W. (2010). Cognitive behavioral therapy for substance use disorders. The Psychiatric clinics of North America, 33(3), 511–525.
4. Dimeff, L. A., & Linehan, M. M. (2008). Dialectical behavior therapy for substance abusers. Addiction science & clinical practice, 4(2), 39–47.
5. Mental health and substance use co-occurring disorders. SAMHSA. (n.d.).