DUI Q&A Series - What is an Alcohol Evaluation?

Summary

On this episode of the DUI Q&A Series, Executive Director at Assessment and Treatment Associates, Steve Uhrich joins us to explain - What is an alcohol evaluation? What does an alcohol evaluation bring to the table and how does it relate to DUIs? How long does an alcohol evaluation take?

Transcript

So when someone comes to see me for an alcohol drug assessment, I'm evaluating their relationship to alcohol in a number of ways, and what I use is a number of things.

They fill out a questionnaire prior to the assessment that I review prior to meeting with them, as well as go through that with them in person, and then I go through a list of questions, kind of like an interview process that goes through all the things that encompass their drinking pattern.

I asked them what happened the night of the incident to get a better understanding of the situation that they were in that caused them to drink, because everybody has a different story.

I also go through, probably the most important part, is their alcohol drug history, and that is questions regarding how much they drink, how often they drink.

When did they start drinking?

And I do that for not only alcohol, but all drugs.

There's also kind of a bio-cycle social that talks about both physical and mental health, 'cause that is certainly corollary.

Mental health is a very corollary aspect of substance abuse and self-medication.

So the goal of that, at the end of this process, and interview, as you call it, as we would call it, is it's basically a diagnosis and recommendation.

Diagnosis and recommendation comes with a range.

It can be anywhere from a one-day class which is the eight-hour alcohol school, and that is someone who's diagnosed as what we call insufficient evidence of abuse or dependency, or in layman's terms, saying that someone doesn't have a problem.

It was just a mistake, poor judgment, wrong place, wrong time, number of different situations, and that can range all the way up to a two-year treatment program that's tied to a deferred prosecution, and I guess if you want to go farther up the ladder, inpatient would be something that would be the kind of most draconian recommendation for people that need help immediately.

People that cannot stop drinking need to go into a place, residential, 30 days, where they are monitored and cannot physically drink.