Developing a Substance Abuse Assessment: Avoiding the Pitfalls

• NCJ Number: 127744
• Journal: Perspectives Volume: 14 Issue: 4 Dated: special issue (Fall 1990) Pages: 12-14
• Author(s): L Meijer
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 3 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

Selecting or developing substance abuse assessment procedures requires careful consideration and planning.

Abstract

The procedures must be compatible with the agency's purpose, characteristics of the target population, and the available human and material resources. This article provides guidelines for agencies planning to initiate or evaluate substance abuse assessment procedures. The agency must first define a conceptual framework from which to evaluate the assessment process; this framework emerges largely from the agency's perspective on the nature of substance abuse. The agency must then determine whether the assessment procedures meet the needs of both the client and the agency itself. The author briefly identifies a variety of specific questions and considerations to be utilized in determining the appropriateness of a given assessment process. 4 references