Saturday, February 25, 2012

How Does Court Ordered Addiction Treatment Work?



If you have a friend or family member who abuses drugs or alcohol to the point where they may no longer be responsible for themselves, you may have the option of court ordered addiction treatment for them. This is not an option to be taken lightly and doesn’t always work the way people assume. It's good to know something about it before you consider this option.

Extent of Abuse

The extent of abuse is going to be considered before anyone goes through forced drug rehab. Someone that drinks too much or that even uses illegal narcotics is not necessarily a candidate for this program. Their abuse needs to be extensive enough so that it interferes with their ability to make their own decisions. They may be a danger to themselves or to others. Anyone that may be a candidate for forced drug rehab will go through an assessment before the court puts them into rehab, and this assessment will include the extent of their abuse. If you're close to this person, you may want to keep note of incidents that make you believe they may be a danger, such as outbursts, abuse toward children, and physical abuse toward themselves such as cutting, driving drunk or otherwise putting themselves and others in danger.

Their Participation

The Florida Marchman Act also takes into consideration their participation and ability to make rational decisions for themselves. Someone may drink too much but still be able to hold down a job, or they may know better than to drive while drunk. If they can still think rationally and function to a certain extent, this may mean they are not a candidate for court ordered addiction treatment.

No one should assume that this means their friend or family member is not a candidate for rehab under the Florida Marchman Act. It's always good to speak to an attorney that specializes in these cases so he or she can advise you in detail as to how it may apply to your case and what can be done from there.

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