Personalized Addiction Assessments In Westchester County for Healthy Living
Professional Help from Sandy Demopoulos, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Sandy Demopoulos is certified by both the state of New York (OASAS) and the Federal Department of Transportation to evaluate and treat addiction in addition to being trained in other mental issues through therapy and counseling. With a lifetime of experience dedicated to helping others, and as a social worker specializing in addiction, Sandy treats all of her patients in a caring and nurturing manner. Working remotely she is able to serve anyone in New York state, including specifically White Plains and the surrounding area of Westchester County. In person appointments are available on Saturdays by request.
What Is a Drug & Alcohol Assessment?
Alcohol and drug assessments are required by the court after you’ve had a DUI or DWI or other drug-related arrests. The incident is examined from your personal point of view, your history with alcohol and other substances, your medical health, your mental health, and that of people who know you well. This allows me to compose a report for the court that decides if treatment is needed. What is outside my scope of practice is when your license will be restored. On a positive note, my experience has been that a DWI is usually based on poor decisions. Not an addiction requiring treatment.
Your assessment may include questions like:
- Do you use or drink more than you should when under pressure, angry, or depressed?
- Do you think about the next time you can drink or use it often?
- Has using drugs or alcohol affected your reputation?
- Do you mix alcohol and drugs together for the desired effect?
- Do you have a medical marijuana card?
- Do you take medications for anxiety or depression or sleep?
- How is your eating? Weight gain or loss routine?
How Assessments Help
Before a decision can be made, we need to get to the heart of your issue. Drug and alcohol assessments allow me to understand the importance of drinking and drug use in your life. Assessments can provide great personal insight for you and if treatment is needed, allows us to formulate a successful plan for recovery.
The pattern of Drug & Alcohol Abuse Assessment
In many cases, there is a pattern to drug and alcohol addiction. Identifying these patterns can be instrumental to recovery and sustained sobriety. Identifying these patterns could entail examining:
- Previous Substance Patterns – Often, the simplest way to identify current patterns is to examine past patterns.
- Mental Health – Chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues often lead to self-medication, and can be triggers for relapse.
- Personal History – Trauma is often a catalyst for addiction. An examination of personal history is crucial to properly diagnose a problem.
- Physical Health – Your physical health can also be an indicator of your patterns. Are you frequently in pain? Have you felt desperate to get the pain under control? Addiction can easily be initiated by dependence on prescription medications.
- Medical History – Past medical conditions frequently play a part in current problems.
- Family History – It is important to examine the nature of your relationship with your family to determine any enabling, dependence, or co-dependence factors. History of substance use in the family can also be an indicator.
What Happens After a Drug & Alcohol Assessment?
After your assessment, a brief report will be drafted which will contain a professional evaluation of your condition (if one is identified) with recommendations if needed.
What to Bring to Your DOT/SAP Assessment: This type of assessment is for people who work in a safety-sensitive position under the umbrella of the Department of Transportation and have given positive toxicology to their job. It may be a pre-employment physical or an incident that happened while at work. Some jobs also ask for random urine screens which can occur at any time.
To get your assessment completed as quickly as possible, please bring the following information to your appointment.
- Name and contact information for the Medical Records Officer who will receive the report
- Name and contact information for up to 3 other sources of information
- Any legal documents related to the incident
- Blood alcohol content (BAC) breathalyzer report and/or urine toxicology report
- A letter from your job documenting the need for this assessment
- NYS identification number if you have an out of state driver’s license
- Form of payment
Consultation Is the First Step
If your assessment is mandated by the court, you are not automatically “guilty” I provide a judgment-free, safe environment. Your case will be handled with the utmost care and speed. Talking to someone about your issue is the first step to getting your life back, so accept this invitation to take advantage of the free 30-minute drug and alcohol consultation.
