Addiction is a complex disease that requires more than just detox. For a complete recovery, psychiatric care is often necessary.

The River Source assesses each individual before they start treatment at our inpatient or outpatient facility. This helps us better understand the nature of the addiction and co-occurring conditions that may be present. Using this information, our doctors and counselors can build an individualized treatment and recovery plan for each patient.

Let’s learn more about what an evaluation consists of so that you or a loved one knows what to expect.

Link Between Mental Health and Substance Abuse

There is a strong link between mental health and addiction. More than half of people who suffer from mental illness also deal with a substance abuse disorder. With such a strong connection, it’s important for addicts to be screened for a dual diagnosis when first entering treatment. If depression, anxiety or PTSD is not addressed during treatment, it will only end up complicating the recovery process later on.

An evaluation is one of the best ways to determine if a patient needs help with a mental illness, a previous diagnosis or a medical health condition. The River Source does an over-the-phone evaluation before accepting someone into our treatment center. The reason for this is to make sure we are equipped to help the individual. If we feel that we don’t have the proper support services in place, we will let you know and guide you toward other resources.

Topics Discussed in a Psychological Assessment

Fortunately, we are able to help the majority of people who come to us. Before starting treatment, we conduct a bio-psycho-social assessment. Here are some of the topics that are discussed during this informational, Q&A process.

• Type/amount of substance abused

• Vulnerability for developing substance abuse

• Severity of the disorder

• Readiness for change

• Fears/concerns over the recovery process

• Medical/psychiatric conditions

• Individual strengths

• Social and environmental context

• Emotional health of the family

Building Personalized Treatment Plans

All evaluations are done in a comfortable, intimate setting. Our patients always receive respect and compassion. We are not here to judge. The more we learn about the person, the more effective we can be at developing a comprehensive, personalized treatment plan that includes the right balance of:

• Family support

• Education courses

• Group therapy

• Individual addiction counseling

• Cognitive behavioral support

If you are concerned about yourself or a loved one, call The River Source. Our integrative treatment options are effective at treating both substance abuse and mental health disorders.