What can you expect during the assessment?
•Please arrive 15 minutes early for your appointment to complete the required paperwork prior to the start of your appointment, including consent for the assessment and a release form for us to share the results of your assessment. Without the signed consent and release, we will not be able to proceed with the assessment.
•You will be asked to turn off or power down all electronic devices. The SAP will ask you to do this in their presence. The SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROFESSIONAL (SAP) Assessment will not proceed if you do not agree to this.
•Your assessment appointment may last up to 2 hours. The clinical interview will cover the reason for referral and review your functioning in various areas of your life. The face-to-face/visual audio interview includes assessment of all the relevant factors known to be essential in evaluating individuals with possible substance use disorders.
•You will be asked to complete an online and/or pen and paper questionnaire. This questionnaire can take anywhere between 10 to 30 minutes to complete. There are no right or wrong answers; please answer all the questions to the best of your abilit.
•The SAP will schedule a date and time for a 15-minute telephone appointment following the assessment. This debriefs call will review the results of the assessment and the treatment recommendations.
What to expect after the assessment appointment?
Upon leaving the SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROFESSIONAL (SAP) ’s office, the following occurs:
•Pen and paper questionnaire that you completed will be reviewed and the final SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROFESSIONAL (SAP) report will be prepared
The SAP will consult with a Clinical Manager
•A report will be written, listing recommendations about your return to work based on the results of the assessment and sent to those individuals identified on your signed Release of Information. Please note: Our standards stipulate the report will be forwarded within 3 business days (end of day) after your assessment appointment. There are instances when the report may not be ready to be sent due to additional information we require or additional consultations. In this instance, the assessor will call you at the scheduled debrief time and advise you that the report may be delayed up to an additional 2 business days. These occurrences are not common, but they do occur.
•The SAP assessment will provide a clear statement of the assessment’s outcome (the diagnosis), along with treatment recommendations. These recommendations typically involve treatment options such as education, counselling or inpatient treatment services, follow- up testing, and general conditions of post assessment care.
•Before the final assessment report is released, the assessor will debrief you on the results of the assessment and the treatment recommendations (scheduled date/time established at the time of the SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROFESSIONAL (SAP) Assessment).We ask that you be available at that time.
Please have a pen and paper handy to take down the exact information.
If you do not answer, the SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROFESSIONAL (SAP) will attempt to call you several times within a span of 1-2 hours. If there is no answer, the SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROFESSIONAL (SAP) will leave you a voice mail message only if you previously indicated that it is acceptable. The message will outline the attempts made to reach you and that the report will be sent to those individuals identified on your signed Release of Information.
•The final report will be released to your case manager, other designates and the individual assessed (if they requested a copy with the diagnosis and treatment recommendations). This includes any recommendations arising from the results of the assessment, for reasonable accommodations and/or treatment to assist you to either remain at work, or to return to work.
•If you have any questions before, during, or after the assessment process, please contact the Intake Team at 713-266-2090. They will connect you with the most appropriate person to answer your questions.
What to expect after I have been debriefed and the SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROFESSIONAL (SAP) report has been sent to my case manager and/or other designates?
Once you receive the assessment results and the recommended treatment, there are several things that you are required to do in order to get back to work quickly:
•Seek out the resources that you need to meet the recommendations that the SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROFESSIONAL (SAP) outlined during the debriefing phone call
•f you are engaged in case management, please contact them to review next steps. Note: they will likely have the SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROFESSIONAL (SAP) report only 24-48 hours after your debrief call with me.
If you are not engaged in case management, contact the SAP at 713-266-2090 for questions about your recommended education and/or treatment.
We hope this information is helpful to you. If you have any additional questions regarding the SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROFESSIONAL (SAP) process, please contact Customer Support Team at 713-266-2090. They will answer your question or connect you with the appropriate person to answer your questions.
