3
ASSESSMENT
Seeking help is the first important step to recovery. The next step
in the process is to meet with a qualified clinician. A clinician is a
health professional such as a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist,
social worker, or nurse. During this first appointment, the clinician
will screen the patient for an opioid use disorder and complete
an assessment. The goal of the assessment is to gain a thorough
understanding of patients and the severity of their illness. This will
help the clinician and patient develop a treatment plan that best
matches the patient's needs.
Getting Started
• The clinician will ask questions to understand all of the factors
that contribute to the patient's addiction. The more that is
known, the better treatment can be planned with the patient.
The patient will likely be asked about:
• Current drug and alcohol use
• Withdrawal symptoms
• History of substance use
• Family history of addiction
• Mental or physical health problems
• Support system
• Available safe, stable housing
• Motivation to change
• The next step is a complete physical examination to check the
patient's overall health. This includes finding other common
conditions (physical or mental) related to addiction that may
impact the plan for treatment.
• The physical examination will often include a drug test.
