Referral Information for Substance Use Assessments

An assessment with a professional who specializes in the field of drug/alcohol intervention.  

Through the process, information will be gathered from the individual and his/her family member; its purpose is:

• To distinguish common adolescent problems and normal developmental issues from alcohol and other drug problems
• To determine the existence or degree of alcohol/drug abuse-related problems
• To suggest an appropriate level of care for the individual and the family and provide information on where those services are available. 

Some parents also choose to set up a drug screen, which is an optional additional process available at some providers or with a family physician order.  

Most assessments are free – check with the individual provider for details.

Resources with * have some bi-lingual support.

There are different levels of care in dealing with substance use/abuse.

Depending on the outcome of the assessment, your son or daughter may be referred to one of these levels of care:

• An inpatient program is for students who have serious issues in coping with drugs/alcohol.
• At intensive outpatient programs (IOP), students can attend school during the day and attend a treatment program after school; these programs are for students who have developing dependencies which need to be addressed.
• There are also group counseling and education programs for students who may not be emotionally or physically dependent on substances but may need some information in order to make healthy choices and explore their attitudes and behaviors related to use and abuse.