Assessment Services Offered at Colorado State University for Adolescents Struggling with Alcohol and Other Drugs

The Center for Family and Couple Therapy is now offering specialized assessments for youth who are struggling with substance use or abuse. The new service is unique and has not been available within the Fort Collins and Northern Colorado communities.

Trained therapists will conduct an assessment for adolescents who are 12-19 years old. The center will take requests or referrals for assessments from schools, parents, guardians, or government or legal agencies. Assessments may be needed when youth have been identified as using or misusing alcohol, marijuana, prescription medication or any other controlled substance, or if they have received drug or alcohol-related charges.

The two-session, four-hour assessment includes a clinical interview and questionnaire with the adolescent and at least one parent or guardian. A written report is provided to the referring agency and the clients. The center also provides a list of appropriate treatments and interventions based on the assessment findings.

“Many youth in our community are dealing with drug and alcohol abuse. This is a unique service that is not readily available in our community. Because it is an evidence-based assessment that really gets at the heart of the youth’s substance misuse issues, families are able to make informed decisions about the most appropriate course of treatment for their child,” said Jen Krafchick, assistant director of the university’s Center for Family and Couple Therapy.

In addition, intervention strategies, including motivational interviewing techniques, are available for adolescents who complete the assessment and who are deemed to have low-level misuse of alcohol and other drugs. Those strategies include a five-session group or individual therapy to help youth explore changes they want to make in their lives.

Additional services for youth include, but are not limited to, mental health evaluations, school or truancy problems, eating disorders, and stepfamily adjustment, as well as mentoring programs.

The Center for Family and Couple Therapy can be reached at (970) 491-5991. Appointments are available during the day or evening.

The Center for Family and Couple Therapy is in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Applied Human Sciences.
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