You Have Legal Options for Getting Help for a Loved One with an Addiction

Court ordered addiction treatment sometimes gets through to addicts when nothing else does. Whether a person's drug of choice is alcohol, cocaine, heroin, or some other substance, when other measures fail, a court order to report to rehab can succeed. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, LLC, our job is to help families and friends get help for loved ones with life-threatening addictions.

Alcohol Addiction Shortens Lives

According to 2010 figures from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 15,990 people died from alcoholism-related liver disease that year, and the number of non-accident and non-homicide alcohol related deaths was 25,692. Court ordered alcohol abuse assessment is the first step toward getting someone with severe alcohol addiction the help they need. Even if an intervention has failed, court ordered alcohol abuse assessment can work, because the consequences for not complying include incarceration.

Illicit Drugs Can Cause a Rapid Downward Spiral

If you know someone who is addicted to dangerous illicit substances like meth or heroin, you have seen firsthand the damage addiction can do. Addiction to prescription painkillers can also ruin and even end lives. If you're afraid that your loved one's "rock bottom" is death, then you should learn more about court ordered addiction treatment.

You Can Petition for Court Ordered Assessment

Under the Marchman Act, you can petition a county judge to order your loved one to be professionally assessed, and based on the recommendations after the assessment, the addict may be ordered by the court to attend 60 days of rehab. If the person leaves treatment before it's completed, or doesn't report to treatment, he or she can be jailed. The threat of incarceration prompts many addicts to decide to go to treatment willingly.

Court Ordered Treatment May Save Your Loved One's Life

Deciding to use the Marchman Act to help someone you love isn't easy, but sometimes you have no other choice in order to save their life. You do not have to go through the process alone. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, LLC, we guide worried family members and friends through the process of getting court ordered treatment for those with severe addictions.

The Affordable Care Act and Substance Abuse Treatment

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) goes into effect in earnest in 2014, but already substance abuse experts are predicting the effects the law may have on those with addictions. Most believe that the overall effect will be positive, since currently only a small fraction of those with addictions receive substance abuse treatment. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, LLP, we are hopeful that the ACA will result in better addiction care under the Marchman Act.

Integrating Substance Abuse Treatment into Overall Health Care

Under the ACA, drug rehabilitation will become part of primary health care, and more efforts will go toward prevention of substance abuse. Furthermore, addiction treatment will be considered an essential service, requiring health plans to provide it. The hope is that prevention and early intervention will reduce the need for forced drug rehabilitation under the Marchman Act, saving money and ultimately lives.

Focus Should Eventually Shift to Addiction Prevention

Imagine if the only people who were treated for heart disease were those who had already had major heart attacks. Unfortunately, that is analogous to the situation with many addicts. Some receive no help at all until their addiction has destroyed relationships, jobs, and lives. There will most likely always be a need for forced drug rehabilitation in severe addiction cases, but there is hope the ACA will prevent some of these cases.

Forced Drug Treatment Won't Completely Go Away

You may be thinking, "That's great, but my loved one is suffering severely from an addiction right now." At Addiction Recovery Legal Specialists, LLC, we're there for you when intervention under the Marchman Act is necessary to save a loved one's life. Unfortunately, many addictions can't wait until the ACA provisions are running smoothly to get help, but you don't have to wait.

There Are Still Several Months Until the ACA Goes Into Effect

It could be a long time before primary care physicians are routinely caring for those in the early stages of addiction. If your loved one has a severe addiction, he or she can't wait. Forced drug treatment is a drastic step, but it is essential in some cases to save lives, so don't hesitate to call.

Forced Addiction Treatment versus Jail Time

Some people argue that forced drug or alcohol rehabilitation isn't effective because attendees don't want to be there. However, when faced with the choice of jail or rehab, even severely addicted people choose rehab. If your loved one has a serious addiction and won't go to rehab, court ordered treatment may be the answer. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services we help friends and family members get help for their loved ones with addictions.

Alcohol Abuse Presents Chronic Danger

Court ordered alcohol abuse treatment is a drastic step, but alcoholism endangers the alcoholic, his or her family, and even strangers if the alcoholic gets behind the wheel. Chronic alcoholism is life-threatening, even in young alcoholics. Unfortunately, some alcoholics don't accept the seriousness of their situation until they are faced with either jail time or court ordered alcohol abuse treatment.

Cocaine Abuse Ruins Finances and Lives

Court ordered cocaine abuse treatment becomes necessary when a cocaine addict can no longer cope with the tasks of daily living, endangering himself or herself as well as others. Running out of money doesn't stop some cocaine addicts, and sometimes nothing short of forced rehab is effective. Court ordered cocaine abuse treatment is preferable to jail for most cocaine addicts.

The Threat of Incarceration Gets People's Attention

Some addictions are severe enough that losing a job, a marriage, friends, or a home isn't enough to convince the addict to seek professional help. These people can be legally compelled to attend court ordered rehab, and if they don't comply, they can end up in jail. Many addicts suddenly decide that rehab is in their best interests when they discover the alternative is spending time behind bars.

You Don't Have to Shoulder the Burden of Helping Your Loved One Alone

If someone you love is losing their life to addiction, you can work through the courts to have your loved one legally compelled to go to rehab. It isn't easy, and it's a drastic step, but in many cases it is a lifesaving step. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, we can advise you on every part of the process, so that your loved one can start conquering addiction as soon as possible.

All Hope Is Not Lost for Your Loved One with an Addiction

The destruction caused by addiction harms more than just the addict. Friends, spouses, children, siblings, and parents can see their entire lives fall apart in the wake of an addict's actions. If someone you love is addicted to drugs or alcohol, you may think you've run out of options. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, LLC, our job is to show you that you still have options, and how to exercise them.

When Addicts Are In Denial

Court ordered addiction rehab sounds like a drastic step, and it is. However, for addicts who are in denial about how their addiction harms them and those who love them, court ordered addiction treatment may be the only way to ensure addicts receive treatment. Just because you have not been able to get your loved one into treatment doesn't mean all hope is lost.

When Interventions Don't Work

Sometimes interventions work, and sometimes they fail spectacularly. If you have tried an intervention with an addict you love and it has failed, it doesn't mean that you have failed. Court ordered addiction rehab is still an option, and sometimes addicts lose their denial and voluntarily enter rehab when faced with court ordered addiction treatment. If they don't voluntarily go, the courts may legally compel them to go or face serious consequences.

You Have Legal Options through the Courts

The Marchman Act allows relatives or friends of addicts to petition the court to force an addict into treatment. Before sending an addict to treatment, a judge will order a short term evaluation and await the recommendations from that evaluation. If the professionals who evaluate the addict believe that court ordered addiction treatment is necessary, a judge can send an addict into treatment for at least 60 days.

The Marchaman Act Imposes Real Consequences

The Marchman Act has "teeth." Addicts who leave treatment early or refuse to enter treatment can be incarcerated. Using the Marchman Act to help an addict is a big step, but sometimes it's the only thing you can do. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, LLC, we have extensive experience helping families and friends help loved ones get the lifesaving treatment they need.

Health Care Reform Could Affect Marchman Act Cases

According to AP reports, only one cent of every dollar spent on health care in the United States is used for addiction treatment, and only about 10% of Americans struggling with drug or alcohol addiction receive treatment. Health care reform is expected to affect addiction treatment significantly. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, we can help you understand the process of court-ordered addiction treatment in light of expected changes.

Many More People Could Seek Treatment in 2014

Few health care services will be affected more radically than addiction treatment in 2014 when the Affordable Care Act goes into effect. The current addiction treatment system in the US was built when the understanding of addictions was very different than what medical professionals know today. When the number of insured individuals increases, expect the numbers of people in addiction treatment to increase significantly as a result.

Bed Availability Is Already an Issue in Some Locations

Many treatment facilities remain at or near capacity currently, and one of the snags in the current Marchman Act process for petitioning for court-ordered drug treatment is bed availability when treatment is ordered. At the same time, government budget cuts have led to shrinking treatment facilities, so bed availability issues are expected to worsen as more people are able to seek treatment.

Postponing Helping a Loved One Could Make Things Worse

If someone you love is slowly losing a battle wtih addiction, perhaps it's time to petition the court for forced drug treatment. It's a big step and not to be taken lightly, but waiting can mean the difference between life and death. If nothing else, acting now could help place your loved one on a waiting list before changes in health care laws make those lists even longer.

Do You Need Guidance with Marchman Act Procedures?

If you need help understanding how to use the Marchman Act, working with an attorney experienced in the process can help tremendously. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, we have been shepherding people through the process for many years and know how to get results under the Marchman Act. If someone you love is crippled by addiction, now may be the best time to act.

Forced Drug Rehabilitation May Be an Option for Your Loved One

When people think of drug addiction, they often think of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, or alcohol. However, addiction to prescription painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs accounts for around 40% of drug-related deaths. People tend to think of these drugs as somehow safer since they can be obtained legally, but they can cause addiction and death. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, we know how to help you get your loved one into court ordered drug rehabilitation, whatever his or her drug of choice.

Deaths from Prescription Drugs

An ordinary person can visit a doctor for a common problem such as back pain and obtain a prescription for painkillers. Addiction can take hold quickly, and mixing painkillers with alcohol can easily be deadly. Accidental overdoses happen on average every 19 minutes in the United States, and are a leading cause of accidental death.

Who Can Petition for Court-Ordered Treatment?

Many addicts are in denial about their addiction or fear withdrawal symptoms, so they rarely commit to rehab on their own. A relative or three non-relatives who each have personal knowledge of a person's addiction can petition the court for forced drug treatment. Court ordered drug rehabilitation begins with the judge's order for stabilization and assessment, followed by 60 days of rehab if deemed necessary.

What Happens if the Patient Leaves Treatment?

When a patient who has been ordered into forced drug treatment leaves treatment early or doesn't go to rehab in the first place, the consequences can be a return to treatment, being taken to treatment by law enforcement, or being placed under arrest. These consequences often make the difference in getting a person into addiction treatment and keeping them there the full 60 days.

What's the Best Way to Ensure a Loved One Gets the Help They Need?

Your county court clerk's office is one place to start if you believe someone you love requires court ordered drug treatment. You may also contact us here at Addiction Recovery Legal Services, and we can speak with you about your options. We have the experience necessary to help addicts in denial get into drug treatment to maximize their chances of regaining physical and mental health.

When Juveniles Need Court Ordered Addiction Treatment

Marchman Act provides a way for the court to order drug treatment for those who refuse addiction treatment, including juveniles. If your child or a juvenile loved one needs addiction treatment but has refused it, you may begin the Marchman Act procedure at your County Clerk's office. Be aware that clerk's office personnel cannot provide legal advice. Addiction Recovery Legal Services is a legal firm with extensive experience guiding petitioners through the Marchman procedure.
The

Completing and Serving the Marchman Petition

Once you receive the Marchman package and complete the paperwork, you pay a fee to have the Sheriff's office serve the respondent, who is the juvenile you believe requires court ordered drug treatment. The Sheriff's office will serve the respondent, and the County Clerk provides you with a copy of the petition and notice of the Assessment and Stabilization Hearing.

The Assessment and Stabilization Hearing

At the Assessment and Stabilization Hearing, evidence in the case is heard, and the court General Manager prepares a report and recommendation for an Order or Assessment. This Order of Assessment must be signed by a judge for the case to proceed. If the judge grants the petition, the next step is having the respondent scheduled for assessment at a Juvenile Assessment Receiving Facility.

The Juvenile Assessment Receiving Facility

If your Marchman petition is granted, you may take the respondent to a Juvenile Assessment Receiving Facility (JARF), or you may file paperwork for the Sheriff's office to pick up the respondent and take him or her to a JARF for assessment. A bed in the JARF may not be ready right away. You will need to contact the JARF to find out about first bed availability.

At This Point, Rehabilitation May Be Ordered By the Court

When the respondent is taken to the JARF, he or she is assessed by a physician and other professionals, who determine whether court ordered drug treatment is recommended. If so, arrangements for rehabilitation can be made. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, we understand the complications of the Marchman process and are available to help you navigate the system on behalf of the juvenile you love who needs help conquering an addiction.