Substance Abuse and Mental Health Assessments
Substance abuse or addiction has a heavy hand on a person’s life; it can deeply affect them on many levels, causing damage to their body, mind, and relationships. Sometimes when going through a divorce proceeding, a need arises for an individual to obtain a substance abuse and mental health evaluation. Such evaluation is used to assess the presence and degree of addiction and or mental health in an individual and to make recommendations regarding treatment plan approach that is tailored to the needs of each person in order to give everyone the best possible chance at health, safety, and recovery.
What an evaluation covers:
- Determines if the individual has a drug or alcohol addiction
- Assesses the extent of the substance use or addiction
- Discerns if there are any co-occurring conditions, including any physical or mental health concerns, or any other drug use
- Assesses the extent by which the substance use affects the person’s life
- Provides an understanding of the person and their circumstances so that the team or court may establish a baseline and build a treatment plan that is best suited for their needs and recovery
If you think you or someone you know may benefit from a substance abuse and mental health assessment, please call to discuss how we can best assist you.
Social Investigation
A social investigation is usually performed by a mental health professional, one who has no prior relationship with either of the parties or the children. The Social Investigator is a neutral and impartial third party, that makes recommendations to the court regarding child matters in a divorce proceeding when divorcing couples cannot agree on the parenting plan. A social investigation may include,
but is not limited to:
- Background checks, checks of police records and the like concerning both parents
- Interviews with the children are conducted
- Interviews with both parents
- Character references submitted by both parents are interviewed
- Doctors, employers, and other professionals are interviewed about the parents and children
- Home visits
- Completion of relevant surveys and questionnaires as requested by the social investigator
- Presentation of facts to the court, addressing all the pertinent details relevant to a child’s best interest, and addressing parental responsibility and time-sharing arrangements as requested
- May include recommendations to the court
