What is a substance Abuse?
Substance abuse refers to the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs. Psychoactive substance use can lead to dependence syndrome – a cluster of behavioral, cognitive, and physiological phenomena that develop after repeated substance use and that typically include a strong desire to take the drug, difficulties in controlling its use, persisting in its use despite harmful consequences, a higher priority given to drug use than to other activities and obligations, increased tolerance, and sometimes a physical withdrawal state.
What is a substance evaluation court ordered?
A court ordered Substance Abuse evaluation is an evaluation ordered by a judge magistrate or a judicial officer usually following the arrest of a person for an alcohol-related offense (such as Driving Under the Influence, DUI), or on drug related charges (such as possession of drugs or other illicit or banned substances ) When the court orders a alcohol and drug assessment, you will be informed by the court or the corrections department (or even your attorney) where you should go for the assessment.
What you need for a Court ordered substance evaluation?
During a court ordered substance evaluation, your substance abuse history will be analyzed, along with your driving record, to determine the appropriate licensing sanction or, in the case of a Driver License Review re-examination, if the license should be returned. A court ordered comprehensive evaluation can have far reaching consequences as legal officials can use the information in determining the outcome of your criminal case, and what requirements the court will place on you during and at the end of your case. The following are required by the evaluation professionals:
-Your driving record
-A copy of your criminal history
-A copy of the arresting officer’s report.
What happens at a court ordered drug and alcohol evaluation?
The evaluation process involves series of standard substance abuse assessment parameters administered by qualified evaluation professionals which help identify warning signs of substance abuse. They will give you a written assessment, probably consisting of multiple yes/no questions, and conduct an in-person, face-to-face interview, perhaps even interview persons close to you to get an clear picture of your pattern of use, some professionals will also have you answer questions that are not related to alcohol or drug use. In addition you may be required to undergo a medical examination which might involve a urine or blood test to screen for the presence of alcohol or illicit drugs. These drug and alcohol evaluation tools are meant to assist or help to:
-Determine if you have an alcohol or drug addiction
-Determine the extent of the addiction if present
-Discern if there are any co-occurring conditions
-Assess how much the addiction affects your life
Except when specifically ordered by a court you do not get drug tested at a substance abuse evaluation.
How long does a court ordered drug and alcohol evaluation last?
A drug and alcohol evaluation can sometimes be a nerve-wracking experience. It’s only natural to be nervous or even embarrassed since someone or even a stranger is putting you on the spot and asking for private information. Most times the assessment interview for drug and alcohol usually lasts between one to two hours.
Read: Drug and Alcohol Evaluation What To Expect
