Driving While Impaired (DWI) Substance Abuse Assessment/Alcohol and Drug Treatment Education Services (ADETS)/Short and Long-Term Treatment
As a collaborative effort in providing substance abuse services through Outpatient Therapy and SAIOP services, the agency offers DWI Substance Abuse Assessments and ADETS Treatment to those individuals who need it. A DWI assessment is required of anyone who is convicted of Driving While Impaired in the state of North Carolina. You cannot receive a limited driving privilege without completing a DWI Assessment. A DWI Substance Abuse Assessment is an alcohol abuse and drug abuse assessment consisting of an interview by a licensed or certified substance abuse counselor and a structured assessment to determine if the patient suffers from drug or alcohol use.
ADETS– Alcohol and Drug Education Treatment Services is an educational program designed for someone with a DWI conviction. This program is for people who don’t have an identified substance use disorder but may be at risk for these disorders. PRIME for Life is the educational program used in all the ADETS in North Carolina and the limited required amount of time for treatment is 16 hours.
Short-term Treatment– Short-term outpatient treatment is a 20-39-hour program completed over the course of 30 days. This level of treatment is recommended when the assessment reveals more treatment is needed beyond the scope of ADETS, such as:
- Alcohol concentration is .15 or higher
- Refusal of chemical test at time of arrest
- Problems relating to family history of substance abuse
- Other problems which seem to be a contributing factor to DWI behavior such as grief or loss
Long-term Treatment– Long-term treatment is a minimum of 40 hours completed over a minimum of 60 days. Long-term substance abuse treatment is suggested when the client is diagnosed with a substance dependence that goes beyond occasional abuse.