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The Assessment Process

The assessment helps us understand what you’re going through. You’ll be seen, valued, heard, and respected

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We’re here to help 24/7

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What to expect during your confidential assessment

The goal is simply to understand your unique situation and determine what type of treatment would best support you.

The purpose of an assessment is to get to know you and your family and to understand what you’re going through.

You’ll leave the assessment with a clear path forward and with all your questions about Sandstone Care answered.

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We’re available 7 days a week to help answer any questions you may have.

How long does the assessment take?

Meet with the family

15 to 30 minutes

The first thing we’ll do is meet with you and your family together. We want to have a comprehensive understanding of your situation, so we’ll ask each family member to share their perspective.

We will ask open-ended questions to learn as much as we can about what’s going on. This portion of the assessment typically takes about 15 to 30 minutes, but we’ll allow for as much time as you and your family need.

Meet one-on-one with the client

60 to 90 minutes

Once we’ve heard from each family member, we will ask them to step out of the room while we meet one on one with you, the young adult. This meeting typically takes about an hour.

During the meeting, we’ll try to learn as much as we can about what the individual is going through. To do this, we’ll dig into their psychiatric, social, academic, vocational, family life, and substance abuse history. Some questions we may ask include:

  • How’s your job going?
  • What’s your social life like?
  • What’s your relationship like with your family?
  • What do you like to do in your spare time?
  • What are some of your short and long-term goals?
  • Why do you use this substance?
  • Do you ever feel lonely?

Once we’ve learned as much as we can, we’ll invite the family back into the room to go over some potential next steps. We will also answer any questions you or your family might have about Sandstone Care.

Talk about next steps

15 to 30 minutes

Once we have the family back in the room, we’ll talk about what we’ve found during the assessment process.

If we feel that the young adult and their family would be a good fit for our program, we’ll discuss which of our programs would work best for them. Our programs vary from day treatment, which is 25 to 30 hours per week, to outpatient care, which is only a few hours of counseling per week. We’ll also answer any questions you might have about the programs.

If we don’t find that a program at Sandstone Care is a good next step for you, we’ll work with you to find a different option that better suits your specific needs. We have a lot of connections in the industry and will be able to place you in a program that will work for your situation.

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See if you or a loved one needs substance use or mental health support

Developed by Chief Clinical Officer Sarah Fletcher LPC

We’re available 24/7

We’ll ask a few questions, listen, and help determine if Sandstone Care is right for you.

If we’re not, we’ll make sure you have the right resources in hand to get the help you need.

Call (202) 335-8909

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The Continuum of Care

Care for Wherever You Are in Your Journey

Access a full range of treatments for mental health and substance use disorders. Whether you need a safe transitional living community, inpatient treatment, or outpatient therapy, we have a program to help.

Learn more about levels of care

5-21 days of 24/7 on-site medical supervision.

Our Medically-Assisted Detox and Inpatient Center offers private rooms and 24/7 medically supervised care to support a safe recovery from drugs and alcohol, followed by comprehensive treatment that addresses your physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs.

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Medical Detox Explained

60-90 days of on-site 24/7 treatment.

We offer residential treatment centers designed specifically for teens struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use, and co-occurring mental health disorders.

We help teens learn healthy coping skills so they can better handle daily challenges. Teens are provided with an intimate, serene environment with smaller group sizes and a focus on strengthening the family unit. Every client gets robust academic support by certified teachers to ensure clients stay up to date on their coursework.

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Teen Residential Care Explained

2-6 months

Our Transitional Living Program can be combined with clinical programming to provide a comprehensive treatment experience for our young adult client’s struggling with substance use disorders.

Our homes are for individuals aged 18-30 and help clients establish a supportive community and accountability, while increasing independence and personal responsibility.

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Transitional Living Program Overview

2-4 weeks of on-site day treatment.

Our Teen Young Adult Day Treatment program, also known as Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), is a highly structured level of care that offers five days of robust programming a week.

Our two distinct mental health and substance use tracks help clients to stabilize, begin to understand their mental health and/or addiction struggles, and heal from them. We strive to help our clients become more like the person they want to be, without using negative coping strategies or substances to get there.

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PHP Explained

8-12 weeks of on-site or virtual treatment.

Our Teen & Young Adult IOP, or Intensive Outpatient Program, offers two distinct tracks to address our client’s needs, each track consisting of 3-4 days of weekly programming.

Our mood disorder track we are able to focus on mental health, depression, trauma, and anxiety. Our dual diagnosis track we are able to support client’s with substance use and mental health challenges. Each focuses on developing positive social, academic, and vocational habits while continuing with their job or school responsibilities.

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What is IOP?

Frequently Asked Questions about the Assessment Process

We inspire change by meeting you where you’re at. We want to come alongside to support and help you start living the life you want to live.

Get started with our program today

One of our licensed clinicians will conduct the assessment.

We’ll meet in one of our offices.

All our assessments are 100% confidential. We will not share anything with anyone without your permission to do so.

The assessment is the first step for all of our clients. The primary reason for the assessment is for us to get to know you and your situation so we can recommend the right program for you, whether that is at Sandstone Care or elsewhere. It is also a great time for you to get to know Sandstone Care as well.

If you’re using private insurance, the assessment can be covered by your insurance. Please reach out to verify your insurance benefits to confirm the specifics. If you’re paying privately, we can discuss the costs involved when you call to schedule the assessment.

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Let’s Take the Next Steps Together

We understand taking the first step is difficult. There is no shame or guilt in asking for help or more information. We are here to support you in any way we can.