If you have questions regarding substance abuse evaluation expectations in West Palm Beach, do not hesitate to reach out to a professional defense attorney as soon as possible for assistance. A dedicated lawyer could help to walk you through your current situation and give you legal advice regarding what to expect during your evaluation. Read on to learn more about how substance abuse evaluation expectations in West Palm Beach could potentially affect your case, as well as the ways a skilled attorney could offer you their help today.
What Happens after an Evaluation?
Anyone who has been charged with a DUI related to drugs or alcohol should most likely expect to receive a recommendation for some type of treatment following their substance abuse evaluation. This recommendation will be given by the evaluator, who must be a licensed mental health professional. Professionals who can meet these qualifications can include medical social workers, mental health counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists.
Anyone with a license to practice in the mental health field has the ability to do a substance abuse evaluation. Some unique substance abuse evaluation expectations may include how it is, on average, more likely to receive a recommendation for treatment than in other jurisdictions. West Palm Beach takes drinking and driving very seriously, and greatly emphasizes treatment for potential alcoholism and drug abuse as a result.
Who Can Request a Substance Abuse Evaluation?
Anyone can request a substance abuse evaluation. An individual may go to a mental health professional of their own accord who was not charged with DUI for a request if they believe they have an issue, or an experienced defense attorney could ask the defendant of a DUI case to take the evaluation in order to get a handle on the issue at hand and mitigate the situation that they may be facing. This could help to show a judge that the defendant is making a concerted effort to solve the problem. A prosecutor can ask for a substance abuse evaluation as part of any sentence, and a judge can request a substance abuse evaluation for circumstances such as a pretrial release.
Unique Substance Abuse Evaluation Expectations in West Palm Beach
Other substance abuse evaluation expectations in West Palm Beach include the fact that treatment is always mandatory when recommended by a doctor. West Palm Beach is a unique jurisdiction in that it will make an individual take treatment in cases where it is both only recommended and when it is required. While other jurisdictions may not force someone to do the treatment if it is merely recommended by a mental health professional, West Palm Beach does.
In order to learn more about substance abuse evaluation expectations in West Palm Beach, it is highly recommended that individuals facing DUI charges reach out to a skilled defense lawyer for help. A lawyer who is knowledgeable about the specific substance abuse evaluation expectations in West Palm Beach can assist a defendant by walking them through the process and giving them their support if a problem with abuse is present.
