URINALYSIS AND DRUG TESTING
Drug testing is a major part of the treatment experience and is done to monitor a client’s sobriety and abstinence. At Northbound in Orange County, we also do it as a means to be compliant with legal obligations for clients that are here on probation and have alternative sentencing.
Our test is a self-contained urinalysis-screening device that detects the presence of drug metabolites in minutes, using SAMHSA cutoff levels.
When drugs are taken in any form, traces end up in the urine within a very short time. Depending on the drug taken, they will remain in the urine for days or weeks. This form of urinalysis is 99% accurate when the sample has not been adulterated.
For those tests in question, the sample is shipped out for more specific testing. The efficacy of urine testing can be debatable at certain times due to cheating. It has been reported that sample substitution and adulteration occur, and both are effective methods of avoiding would-be positive tests however, at Northbound we are vigilant about monitoring clients when test, diluted tests and sending in samples suspected of adulterants such as detox drinks. Adulteration tests analyze the properties of the urine to identify if the sample is abnormal. Such properties include the pH and specific gravity of the urine. They also test the level of creatinine, nitrite, glutaraldehyde, specific gravity, bleach and pyridinium chlorochromate.
Author
-
Paul Alexander is the CEO, President & Founder of Northbound Treatment Network in Newport Beach, California. He believes wholeheartedly in transformational leadership, organizational health and effective, fully integrated substance use disorder and mental health treatment. With over 27 years of experience in behavioral healthcare, Paul has extensive knowledge of “in vivo” treatment modalities, clinical development, operations, strategy, marketing and financial planning. He has been widely recognized for his development of collegiate-based residential treatment programs for students in recovery and authored a research study at The University of California confirming this modality’s effectiveness.
Paul’s comprehensive professional experience, willingness to innovate, and emphasis on organizational health are vital factors in Northbound’s continued success. Paul received his Certified Addiction Treatment Specialist training at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA, and was awarded Outstanding Alumni Service Award in 2002. Paul holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology, Law and Society, Summa Cum Laude, from University of California, Irvine, and a Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles. Paul currently serves on The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) board. In addition, he serves on The Family Recovery Foundation board and The CarePossible board in Orange County; both organizations are committed to raising funds for family recovery and treatment for former military personnel. Paul is in recovery himself and lives in Orange County with his wife Silvana and his two young sons, Noah and Dean.
