Getting Your Teen Into Court-Ordered Treatment
With the opioid epidemic remaining steadfast in the United States, many people may be wondering how they can make a difference in their communities and even at home. Seeing your teen struggling with the grips of addiction can be tough to witness, especially when you do not know how to get them the help they deserve. Despite this current drug trend’s steady climb, getting someone into an addiction treatment center is possible through court-ordered treatment.
How Do I Get My Teen Into Treatment?
Getting someone into an addiction treatment center poses its own challenges. For one, the person in need of counseling has to acknowledge they have a problem. The saying goes that someone has to want to change in order to do so. This is true in all aspects of life, especially substance abuse. If your attempts to coerce your teen into treatment are met with resistance, your initial reaction may be to give up. What many people don’t know is that even without the consent of the substance abuser, they can still find themselves in the helping hands of a drug treatment center.
The process to involuntarily admit a person into treatment is by no means an easy task. They must first fit certain criteria for this action to be considered an emergency. These include but are not limited to:
While these signs may be easy to identify, as they are symptoms that many if not most addict’s exhibit, the process does require much legal backing.
What Do My Options Look Like?
For those who are unfamiliar with the process of court-ordered treatment, it looks a little something like this. You can, as a first attempt, pursue the individual legally and suggest that they seek court ordered treatment. Without the need to explain, it is easy to see how this option may not produce the best results. This can cause a rift in the relationship between the other party and yourself as you have to turn them in for the use and handling of an illegal substance. They will not see the benefit at first and may even resent you for doing so, but it is important to remain diligent in order to help them kick their substance abuse issue.
Another option available is to get the person in need of treatment committed involuntarily to a substance abuse center via an emergency order through the courts. A screening investigation will be conducted by addiction and mental health professions in addition to a police officer. They will be taken into custody where they will be evaluated so see if they meet the qualifications for this option. The qualifications for emergency involuntary treatment are as they are stated above.
How Effective Is Court Ordered Treatment?
Court ordered treatment, once the patient is in a facility, is conducted the same way it would be if that patient were to go into a treatment center voluntarily. The differences are primarily in the length that the person must stay and in the aftercare once in-facility treatment is complete. That is said to say that the only thing that will determine how effective treatment is going to be in the long run is how dedicated the individual is to getting and staying sober. All the courts do in this case is make sure that the patient remains in treatment and makes an effort outside of the facility to stay clean.
If you are on the fence about whether or not you should look into court-ordered treatment for your teen, look at the signs. If you feel like the problem is now out of control and your teen shows no desire to stop, it is your responsibility to act in their best interest. Do not hesitate when it comes to saving the life of your child.