Beginning Addiction Treatment
Clinical & Medical Assessment

At CuraSouth we are dedicated to providing men and women of all ages and walks of life with the most focused and individualized medical detox experience available. In order to achieve this goal we provide our clients with several in-depth clinical and medical assessments – the initial assessment always takes place within the first 24 hours of their admission to our program. According to an article published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information titled, “A Guide to Substance Abuse Services for Primary Care Clinicians,” providing an in-depth substance abuse assessment requires extensive, specialized knowledge and should take from anywhere between 90 minutes to two full hours. The information that is gained during the initial assessment helps our clinical and medical teams determine which course of action is the best suited for each individual client, and which detox methods are going to be the most effective and beneficial.

At CuraSouth we offer a highly personalized clinical and medical assessment that is conducted with the following goals in mind:

• Providing enough data to our staff members so that they can accurately diagnose the substance abuse disorder and all underlying issues.
• Helping our clinical team determine which level of care is going to be the most appropriate for each unique case (this information also helps our case managers begin developing a thorough and individualized aftercare plan).
• Examining all problems related to long-term substance abuse, including problems that are physical, medical, social, behavioral and financial in nature.
• Establishing the severity of the substance use disorder, which will be categorized as mild, moderate, intermediate or severe.
• Helping our clinical team and case managers determine whether or not specialized care is required (for example, dual diagnosis treatment for an underlying mental illness or trauma-informed therapy for clients with post-traumatic stress disorder).
• Determining how much social support clients are going to have access to once they are physically stabilized and progress to the next level of clinical care.

The initial clinical and medical assessment is imperative in the sense that it helps our staff members define a baseline of each client’s current status – a baseline to which future conditions can be accurately compared. However, clients undergo multiple assessments as they progress in our medical detox program. This helps our clinical team adjust each individualized detox plan whenever necessary.

Substance Abuse Screenings

Substance abuse screenings are an important component of the comprehensive clinical and medical assessments we provide.

Substance abuse screenings cover the following:

• Whether or not the client is intoxicated upon his or her arrival, and if so, which chemical substances are present in the system – Upon arrival we complete a drug test in order to determine acute intoxication – and therefore map out withdrawal potential. It is important that we know which withdrawal symptoms to expect based on what substances are currently in the system.
• Whether any biomedical conditions are present at the time of admission – This essentially means that physical health is examined thoroughly, and personal history of health-related conditions, chronic illnesses and related complications are considered.
• The presence of any emotional or behavioral conditions, including mental health concerns like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia and neuropsychiatric complications directly linked to prolonged substance use – We ask clients a series of related questions and they undergo a psychiatric assessment conducted by one of our licensed, on-staff psychiatrists.

• Family therapy – At CuraSouth we believe in the importance of family involvement. We offer family therapy to the loved ones of our clients, and we are consistently available to answer any questions they might have and to offer additional resources.
• Aftercare planning – Medical detox is only the first step in every effective curriculum of clinical care. We offer rehab placement services and thorough aftercare planning.

Comprehensive and Individualized Recovery

Providing clients with an in-depth clinical and medical assessment upon their admission to our medically monitored detox program is only one of the many ways in which we make our overall recovery program as individualized as possible. Substance abuse and dependence affect everyone differently, and for this reason no two medical detox plans should be identical. According to the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, “the key to individualized addiction treatment is comprehensive assessment and monitoring of symptoms and behavioral change.” While the initial assessment is crucial to the development of a treatment plan, it alone is not enough. The progress of each client must be closely monitored, and necessary changes must be made to the existing treatment plan as he or she progresses along on the road to recovery.

Begin Your Recovery Journey Today

If you or someone you love has been suffering at the hands of a substance abuse disorder of any severity, CuraSouth is available to help. As soon as you or your loved one makes the decision to contact us we begin developing a straightforward plan of action. We always conduct a pre-assessment during the initial phone call, which can easily be completed in minutes. We ask a series of simple questions geared towards helping our clinical team confirm the severity of the substance abuse disorder, the frequency and duration of substance use, the severity of substance-related issues (interpersonal, legal, financial, health-related) and current medications and underlying psychiatric or physical issues. Once the pre-assessment is complete we help determine coverage options by offering a free, no obligation health insurance benefit check, and set a date and a time for intake. We understand how overwhelming the early recovery process can seem – especially if you or your loved one has never considered treatment beforehand. Rest assured that we are available to help you every single step of the way. To learn more or to begin your own personal journey of physical, mental and emotional healing contact us today, we are available to help you 24/7.