HELP!!! TX BNE ordered chemical dependency assessment

nowim clean · Jan 5, 2012

AA/NA, drug screens for 3+ years restrictions on you, rehab/ outpatient, monitored by the BON, feeling like your world is upside down, learning to live without drugs and alcohol, discovering who you are. These are a few of the things you will go through. If you stay the course and do not use intime this will become part of your past and you will be able to help others, however if you do not make changes then instead of it being your past it becomes your present and sets up your future. Good luck with sobriety.

jmo1231 · Jan 5, 2012

I agree with nowim clean,that was well said. If you have an addiction then first and foremost that will be addressed by the specialists and monitored by the BON. Then, you will be given the option of complying with their program or going before the board depending on your circumstances. Remember if you dont have ongoing sobriety all the rest will be lost. good luck to you and keep us informed.

learninglessons12, BSN, RN · Jan 6, 2012

During my chemical dependency assessments, I went to an LCDC. I was asked details about every aspect of my life: work, relationships, family, living arrangements, drug and alcohol use, hobbies ect. My personal advice is to pay for the assessment out of pocket and don't let them know you have insurance. During my 1st initial assessment, I went to a place that was a division of my employer and they knew I had good insurance. I believe that the lady who did my assessment wanted to admit me to the most intensive outpatient program because she knew I had good insurance. I went to The Right Step because I did not agree with the initial assessment. I told the counselor at the Right Step the exact same thing I told the first lady and she wanted me to go to EEP. Because I had conflicting evaluations, I had to drive from Houston to Dallas to see a psychiatrist and I ended up in TPAPN anyway.

backtowork · Jan 6, 2012

The best advice I have received on this subject is to NOT choose any evaluator on the BON pre approved list. Hire an attorney and let him find you an evaluator who he has worked with before in similar circumstances and has had good outcomes with. Your attorney will negotiate with the BON to let you see one off the "pre approved" list. Think about this for a minute...all the evaluators on the board's list have tons of work coming from board referrals and may be financially motivated to keep that business. You want to make sure your evaluation is TOTALLY unbiased. BUT..do this only with an attorney's advice..do not take my advice as legal counseling..eventho' I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night..I am still just a nurse ..not a lawyer. :redlight:

My assessment was much like learninglessons..I paid cash ..$1500.00.. was asked about every aspect of my life from childhood through middle age, took a battery of psychological written tests, and finally was asked to provide a hair sample for drug testing..which I did. I received a favorable assessment and this was key in ending up with only one year of stips as opposed to the standard 2-3 years here in Texas. It is ironic that learninglessons had to travel from Dallas to Houston..I had to travel from the DFW area to Houston to get mine...it is so crazy.. :banghead: ..but JMO is correct, without recovery..all this is a moot point, so that is your first and foremost focus. Keep us posted and let us know how you are doing. As a very wise poster told me months back on this forum.."It will get easier..this will become your new "normal". :heartbeat:nurse::heartbeat

olchrustyone · Jan 3, 2013

I need help as well. I will be ordered to take a chemical dependency evaluation over the next month and I'm extremely nervous. I was arrested 6 years ago involving a felony charge for meth. I have not used it since. I'm scared there will be a polygraph test and I will get nervous or say the wrong thing and fail it. It is also going to cost me 1500 if I use one of the pre-approved list. I live in Louisiana and I wonder if they will let me find one closer to home. I'm pretty sure I can't afford an attorney after having to come up with the 1500 for the evaluation.

Shadowfax15 · Jun 18, 2014

Were you able to get an eval? I wanted to know what it entails as well. I hate walking into a place not knowing what to expect-makes me more nervous than I need to be.

Thanks.

Twoyearnurse · Jun 19, 2014

Dont stress yourself too much about this. Ive had almost 9 months clean from opiates and almost five ffrom alcohol, I am fixing to have an evaluation as well. It's scary knowing that with all this sober time they could still have me go inpatient for 90 days. But none of this is in my hands, and I am worth three months worth of treatment, even if it feels like an incontinence now. Everytime I cross another bridge that terrifies me I realize it's not so bad, and am typically left feeling grateful for the experience.