Drug & Alcohol Assessments In Austin, TX

Alcoholism, drug and substance abuse, and addiction are all concerns that can be addressed with the help of a counselor. Our in-depth drug and alcohol assessments have also been used in state licensing concerns, DWI cases, child custody cases, and as supplements to legal preparations.

They include a thorough evaluation with questions covering a variety of concerns, such as:

Continued drug use despite consequences
Inability to control substance use
Neglecting work and/or social responsibilities
Unsuccessful efforts to stop or cut down on drug or alcohol use
Withdrawal symptoms

Other systemic factors could be present, which is why our drug and alcohol assessments also include evaluations of psychological, social, and environmental factors.

There are a variety of drug/alcohol assessment tools we use to help determine the proper treatment to use. These include the SASSI-3, DAST, and MAST, which are all industry standard drug and alcohol assessment tools used by substance abuse counselors. These tools provide a highly accurate measure of the extent of any concerns that might be present in a client.

Types Of Drug & Alcohol Assessments

What is the SASSI-3?

The Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI) is a brief paper and pencil drug and alcohol assessment. This psychological questionnaire is used by therapists, psychotherapists, substance abuse counselors, and other professionals to identify individuals who have a high probability of showing traits commonly associated with substance abuse disorders.

The SASSI does this by gathering information in an organized manner to identify symptoms and reveal several patterns related to chemical dependency that would otherwise go unnoticed. Several versions of this questionnaire exist with it being used to identify potential substance abuse symptoms in individuals with a 94% accuracy.

What is the DAST?

The Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) is a 28 question form that helps counselors and therapists determine whether the user could be at risk of developing drug abuse. This includes prescription drug abuse as well as illicit drugs and other substances that could lead to addiction.

Developed back in 1982, this substance abuse screening instrument offers a quick way of determining the proper treatment for any chemical dependency concerns that might be present. Despite it’s age, it’s still revered as an excellent screening tool for detection of abuse of drugs other than alcohol.

The DACT can help put you on the path for recovery by helping us determine the proper and most effective treatment to take.

What is the MAST?

The Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST) is a 22 question form that is used to determine if alcoholism or the potential for alcohol abuse is present. It’s one of the most widely used alcohol assessments that helps identify traits related to alcoholism and is used frequently by counselors, therapists, and psychotherapists to determine the proper treatment for their client.

This tool is mainly used to assess any concerns you might have throughout various events in your life, instead of solely relying on signs you’re currently exhibiting. In comparison to the SASSI and DAST, the MAST assessment is used solely for alcohol based addictions and alcoholism.

These drug assessments, along with our clinical interview, allow us to develop a working model of the severity of your concerns. Upon completion of your interview, we will provide you (or others, with your permission) a detailed written report of our assessment and findings, including possible recommendations to take if you show symptoms of substance abuse.

Please note that we do not place one model of addiction-based treatment over another. Instead, we take into consideration your entire system, individual challenges, belief system, and abilities. Although we examine drug and alcohol use and monitor any chemical dependency symptoms, we continue to stay personally engaged and keep you as our primary focus.