If you have considered using the Marchman Act to help a loved one
receive possibly life-saving court
ordered addiction treatment, it's important to understand what happens
to him or her during this process. For example, involuntary alcohol abuse assessment is the step
where clinicians evaluate the extent of the person's alcohol dependence and
attempt to match the person with appropriate treatment. Assessment defines the
nature of the person's addiction and develops treatment recommendations for
addressing the addiction.
At Addiction Recovery Legal Services LLC, we help people navigate
the Marchman process so their loved ones can be assessed and appropriate
treatment recommendations can be made. Here are some of the components of
addiction assessment programs.
Assessment of Immediate Safety Risk
The first step in assessing addiction involves determining any
immediate risks related to severe intoxication or withdrawal as well as
immediate risk for violence, self-harm, or suicide. Addiction treatment
professionals will ask the person being assessed if he or she has any immediate
attention of engaging in self-injury or violence. If so, the clinician will
take appropriate safety precautions, try to obtain more information on the
nature of the intentions and arrange for more thorough assessment by a trained
mental health professional.
Screening for Co-Occurring Mental Illnesses Like Depression
Depression, eating disorders, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress
disorder are common among substance abusers, and those entering into court
ordered addiction assessment are screened for co-occurring disorders like
these. If screening indicates a possible mental health disorder, more thorough
evaluation will be done by a mental health professional. Some drugs and
withdrawal symptoms mimic mental illness symptoms, so reassessment of mental
illness is generally performed again later to ensure accurate diagnosis and
recommendations for treatment.
The Assessment Interview
The assessment interview is really the first step in assessment
and treatment of addiction, and can set the tone for the entire process from
the point of view of the addict. The interviewer usually explains up front the
reason for the interview and will take into account mental health screening
results so that ultimately a comprehensive treatment recommendation can be
made. A skilled interviewer understands that addiction isn't isolated, but
occurs in response to other areas of life and conveys this understanding to the
patient. This understanding can help disarm a patient's natural defensiveness
concerning his or her addiction.
Medical Assessment
Medical screening is important in addiction assessment, because
many people with addictions lack health care, and because many addictions
result in health consequences such as sexually transmitted diseases and
infectious diseases like HIV. If the person undergoing assessment has other
health conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease, or if a
female patient is pregnant, this information should be considered when the
assessment team makes addiction treatment recommendations.
Considerations of Barriers to Treatment
When making recommendations about addiction treatment, clinicians
should take into account possible barriers to treatment, including
dysfunctional family relationships, treatment program restrictions, presence or
absence of health insurance, and financial obstacles. When potential barriers
to treatment are identified, substance abuse professionals can try to address
these barriers in their treatment recommendations to increase chances for
successful rehabilitation.
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