For your convenience, our most common customer questions are answered right here.
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Q: How long does it take to make an appointment?
A: Usually we can accommodate people within a day or two. It really just depends on if we are open. For individuals who have an urgent need will be offered to pay an expedited service fee (typically $50 per appointment) to have a member of our staff available outside of their normal schedule.
Q: How long does it take to get an evaluation?
A: There are many different types of evaluations. An evaluation that you will be taking to court, typically takes one hour of face-to-face time to complete. Evaluations that you plan on taking to a Secretary of State hearing is much more detailed and will take on average a minimum of 8 working hours to complete with at least two hours of face-to-face time.
For Court Evaluations, depending on if a Secretary is available at the time of your appointment, it may be available in as little as 20 minutes. Otherwise, we typically take 48 hours to prepare it for pick-up. Let us know if you need to take it home with you at the time we schedule your appointment.
Q: Can you complete all evaluations?
A: If the court requires an evaluation after an arrest for a DUI, that is called a Uniformed Report. As long as your DUI arrest didn’t occur in DuPage, Cook and/or Lake County, then we can complete your evaluation.
If you need a Uniformed Report and your arrest was from Cook County, you will need to go to Central States Institute to complete your evaluation. If you need a Uniformed Report and your arrest was from DuPage County, your evaluation must be completed at the court house.Typically if you need an Uniformed Report and your arrest was from Lake County, you will have to go to NICASA to complete your complete your evaluation unless the Judge states that you can complete your evaluation with any Licensed Provider. If you are required to get a “Domestic Violence” evaluation, we are not able to complete those and you should talk to your attorney for information on who can complete that for you. If it is an “Anger Management” evaluation, then yes we can.
Otherwise, YES!
Q: How many type of evaluations are there?
A: There are:
- Uniformed Reports are completed after a DUI arrest.
- Alcohol and/or Drug Evaluation (which we nickname as NON-DUI Eval) are usually for Probation or Parole.
- Anger Evaluations. (Different from Domestic Violence)
- Secretary of State Evaluations. (But there are different types of Secretary of State Evaluations.)
- Domestic Violence Evaluations (which we do not complete!)
- and The Department of Transportation also requires a Return-to-Work Evaluations.
Q: What do I need to bring to my evaluation appointment?
A: We need something that proves it is you, such as a State ID or passport. It must include your picture and name at a minimum.
For DUI evaluations: We need a Driver’s Abstract from any/all states that you have ever been licensed in if possible but at least from Illinois. Illinois Driver’s Abstracts can be purchased for about $14 from any Department of Motor Vehicles. (The Abstract can not be any older then 30 days.) All of the tickets that you were issued on the night of your arrest and the Officer’s Sworn Report. The Officer’s Sworn report would have been a white piece of carbon paper that was given to you on the night of your arrest. It will state that you either refused to take test or that you failed and what your BAC was at the time of your arrest.
For NON-DUI evaluations/ Anger Management evaluations: We need something from the police, judge or probation officer with some information about your original arrest and any documentation that you might have on why an Alcohol and/or Drug Evaluation is being ordered.
For Secretary of State Evaluations: You must take to a Counselor since each case is very different.
And don’t forget the payment for services.
Q: What type of payments do you accept?
A: WE all like cash! Checks are accepted by no documentation will be released until your check fully clears which may take up to two weeks. Our Geneva and West Dundee office also turns all bounced checks over the the States Attorney to be forwarded to their Fraud Check department. Please don’t pay with money that you don’t have!
Credit Cards are only accepted in our Schaumburg Office.
Q: Do you have a sliding scale fee?
A: Yes!
The state has funds available for those who need it. An example of the States guidelines of those who can qualify would be a family of 1 who makes less than $11,000 per year. Also, to prove that an individual qualifies, we will need a copy of the last year’s tax return. If that is not available or this year’s income is much less than last year and you expect to qualify this year, please call us to make an appointment so that we can assist you.
Also, we work with our clients. If you have been approved by the court to be represented by a Public Defender, ask your attorney for documentation of representation and we will work to help you.
Q: Do you accept insurance?
A: We are able to accept insurance in Schaumburg for individuals who are suffering from the Disease of Alcoholism. Most insurance companies do not offer coverage for Alcohol and/or Drug Abuse and/or Court Ordered Types of Treatment. Check with your insurance company for their inclusion and exclusion criteria and your policies’ co-payment and/or deductible information. Because our prices are so low that it would cost you more out of pocket to use your insurance than to pay in full. Other individuals choose not to use their insurance because they don’t want their insurance company to know that are in treatment. You need to decide what is best for you.
Q: Whats the difference between Risk Education and Counseling?
A: Risk Education is a lecture course. The State of Illinois has very specific lessons that every client must be educated on. Counseling is to help you in many areas of your life which may include Substance Abuse and/or Alcoholism. Counseling is a time were you get to work on something that you could make improvements on.
Q: What is Continuing Care?
A: Continuing Care is also known as Aftercare. Each program has a different idea of what is best to help clients after they complete treatment. Our program requires that you attend one group per month. During this time, we want to ensure that you have continued to be successful with the goals that you set for yourself . This could mean that you continued in your sobriety, that you started school or that you purchase a home. The goals that we work on are set by you and monitored by your counselor.
The amount of months is usually determined by the County of Arrest.
Q: Can I use the hours I have from another company?
A: I assume that you mean that you are currently in a program and want to move to us in the middle of your classes. My first question is, why do you want to come to us? If you are messing up your program at another facility and think that changing facilities will save you, think again! Just the fact that you have a viable program and want to change is a red flag for us. However, of course we will take you but expect that we will be harder on you in this case then the facility you are leaving!
Otherwise, there are some local treatment providers that have been closing their doors and leaving clients to find new treatment providers. Yes, you are more then welcome to come to us! If we know that your facility was/did close, then we already sent information to the provider to inform them that we will accept any hours you have documented with them. We also will not charge you any intake fees during your transition.
For those facilities that contracted us to take all of their client charts (including payment information) we will not only give you credit for any hours that you completed with them but also for any money that you paid to them. If you are not sure of what agreement we have with the closing facility, you may contact us to inquire.
Q: Do you have more Answers.
A: Well, yes we do. You just need to call us.
Do you have a question that you wish was here? If so, please let us know so we can add it.
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