Other Services

Family Consultation and Case Management

I provide consultation and case-management services to families of origin and chosen families affected by a loved one’s substance use. The focus is on helping family members understand how to respond effectively while protecting their own well-being.

While the person with the substance use disorder may participate in some sessions if/when appropriate, this service is specifically intended for family members.

Services may include:

• Education about substance use disorders, recovery, and relapse

• Guidance about helpful and unhelpful communication

• Support in establishing appropriate boundaries

• Assistance responding to crises and other difficult situations

• Help navigating treatment options and community resources

• Coordination among family members, providers, and other supports

• Strategies for supporting a loved one without enabling harmful behavior

Public Speaking

I'm available to present to groups on the subjects of drug testing and interpretation, forensic SUD assessments, and the intersection of substance abuse and parenting.

Consultations and Reviews

I offer free consultations to attorneys and other professionals up to half an hour. Over that, I charge my hourly rate.

Most consultations are about choosing the right kind of test for the situation, interpreting test results, or figuring out how to manage an unclear situation with an addicted client. I write declarations or other documents as needed, and I am comfortable producing attorney work products.

Occasionally I do forensic reviews of substance abuse evaluations if there is a safety concern or other serious reason to do so.

Drug / alcohol testing

I offer several forms of testing TO MY EXISTING CLIENTS ONLY. I don't offer stand-alone testing for two reasons: (1) I'm in counseling sessions most of the day and can't interrupt them to accommodate a random sample collection for testing, and (2) for stand-alone testing I have to charge for my time to set you up on my testing system and that makes it not cost-effective for you.

Here's what I offer:

• Urine testing. My practices and preferences include:

  • My default urine screen includes ten substances, and I have the flexibility to test for many, many other drugs as well.

  • All results are confirmed by mass spectrometry confirmation (the gold standard) so that there are no arguments about false positives.

  • I adhere to forensic chain-of-custody procedures so we don't have arguments about samples getting mixed up.

  • I require my clients to use a service that handles the scheduling notifications, collections, and reporting while leaving the clinical decisions about what to test for, how often to test, and what test results mean up to my judgement (or that of a medical review officer when necessary).

  • I am not offering direct observation for collections at this time.

• Hair testing. Contrary to popular myth, it's not hair follicle testing, it's just hair testing. I usually prefer nail testing, however there are a few cases in which hair testing remains preferable. Hair has to be completely natural and at least 2 inches long. I cut a few strands from several places to avoid leaving a bald spot.

• Nail testing: I find nail testing to be superior to hair testing in most cases because it's harder to interfere with, has a longer detection window, and is better than hair for a few substances. However, there are some circumstances in which testing hair is still preferable. Both hair and nails test for binge or chronic use, not moderate use. Confirmation testing is utilized for both hair and nails.

• PEth testing. This is a blood test that can be collected either as a regular blood draw at a lab or as a finger-prick. I sometimes struggle to get enough blood using the finger-prick method so, although I have the supplies, it may be more efficient for you to use a lab. PEth testing screens for binge or chronic drinking only, not for drugs and not for minimal alcohol use, but there is effectively zero risk for false positives.

• Saliva testing. Collections can be done in my office or virtually (supplies must be sent out first). Saliva testing has a relatively short window of detection and does not include EtG. Confirmation testing is utilized.

Clients either pay the testing service directly (preferred) or pay the testing service through me without a mark-up.