A Comprehensive Chemical Health Assessment (call 612-249-3656 to schedule an appointment) is a meeting between a mental health clinician and a person that may have a substance abuse or chemical dependency problem, which assesses overall chemical health. The mental health clinician follows MN state assessment guidelines, as directed by Minnesota Laws and the MN Department of Human Services. The Comprehensive Assessment is also referred to as a Chemical Use Assessment, Rule 25 assessment, Chemical Dependency Evaluation, or Alcohol Assessment. Assessments can take place throughout Minnesota such as in Minneapolis, St. Paul, other parts of Hennepin County or Ramsey County, Anoka County, Washington County, Scott County or Dakota County.
The mental health clinician is generally a MN state-licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor and will be the professional that interviews you about your alcohol or drug use. Questions explore different areas of a person’s life, including: chemical use history, physical health, mental stability, medications, past alcohol / drug treatment experiences, day-to-day life, and any legal issues such as drug possession, DWI, DUI, or civil / family court cases. Following the Comprehensive chemical health assessment, a recommendation letter with results is provided to the assessed person and others who may need it - such as lawyers, judges, and/or corrections agents.
It is important that you select a medical professional to conduct your Comprehensive Chemical Health Assessment that has advanced training in addictive disorders so that you do not get misdiagnosed or referred inappropriately into rehab.
The respected National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse released a report titled Addiction Medicine: Closing the Gap between Science and Practice. This report points out that ineffective treatment and misdiagnosis happen often. This is because many Alcohol and Drug Counselors in Minnesota often lack advanced addiction education and expertise. In fact, for many years a chemical health assessor needed little more than a 30-hour training to conduct rule 25 assessments and make addiction diagnoses. In other areas of medicine, several years of advanced education and practical experience is required to make diagnoses.
Another concern is that people seeking Chemical Health Assessments at for-profit rehabs may have conflicting interests. In this scenario, the rehab assessor may have an underlying bias to make referrals into their own programs, which are sometimes inappropriate. For example, an individual with mild alcohol abuse that wants to learn evidenced-based approaches to alcohol moderation, is referred into an abstinence-based rehab program. Or, a person with an addiction to opiates is put into a talk therapy program that does not offer effective medication-assisted therapies.
Michael, 612-249-3656, is a Harvard-educated mental health clinician working in private practice through Avitity Health. Michael has a profound understanding of addiction and wrote the book, A Frenzied Mind: Clarifying the science behind addictive disorders
Selecting an expert like Michael for your Comprehensive Chemical Health Assessment has numerous benefits:
You will secure a personal advocate who will go above and beyond for you.
Collaboration will occur. Michael works for you, not a for-profit treatment center or state agency.
Your wants and needs come first, not a treatment centers profit margin.
Your assessment is confidential and can be kept off your permanent medical record.
No risk of being mislabeled an “addict,” “alcoholic,” having a chemical dependency issue.
No risk of excessive or inappropriate “rehab” or addiction treatment.
If you’re seeking help to moderate or quit chemical use because of substance abuse or chemical dependency, Michael can refer you to the most effective clinics based upon your specific goals.
Direct, after-hours access to Michael.
Michael serves individuals in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Anoka County, Dakota County, Scott County, Washington County and the surrounding area. He can be reached directly at 612-249-3656
You can meet Michael at his office or he can meet you throughout the Twin Cities and surrounding metro:
Criticisms of the rehab industry stretch far and wide. The respected National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University grimly concluded in a 2012 report that no other medical treatments are less rooted in modern science than what is currently offered in the addiction rehab industry. This scathing report compared the current practices of addiction medicine to general medicine in the early 1900s, where treatments varied wildly in type and effectiveness. The report went on to provide a gloomy forecast: the vast majority of people in need of addiction treatment in the U.S. will not receive anything that approximates evidence-based care.
However, evidence-based treatment is available. Consult with Michael, an expert who will be able to refer you or a loved one into the best evidence-based alcohol or treatment program. Michael can be reached directly at 612-249-3656.
According to Minnesota’s DWI Laws, it is a crime to drive, operate, or be in physical control of any motor vehicle anywhere in the state while: under the influence of alcohol, a controlled substance, or a hazardous substance (knowingly). Being charged with drinking and driving in MN usually leads to a judge ordering a person to complete a DUI evaluation or a DWI evaluation. The DWI / DUI Assessment can have lifelong implications and it is critical that you select the best available medical professional, instead of just hurriedly going to a local alcohol and drug treatment center. This is because following the comprehensive DWI / DUI Assessment, your sentencing judge and probation agent will always order you to follow through with any recommendations such as abstaining from alcohol, taking part in ongoing drug testing, and attending a one day dwi program, cognitive level 1 or level 2 dwi classes, or driving with care or alcohol classes online.
Michael is a DWI / DUI assessor in private practice. This means he works for you and not for a treatment center. He carries all of the qualifications to complete your assessment. When, or if, treatment is appropriate, he takes into account your wishes and always seeks the least intensive options with the most effective outcomes.
Call him today: 612.249.3656