Use five headings in your notes: fit, delivery, monitoring, alternatives, and continuity. Under fit, ask how the program learns about substance use, health, mental health, daily responsibilities, prior treatment, and personal goals. NIDA principles emphasize that needs differ and that a plan should address the whole person, not substance use alone. An assessment is not a promise that a particular program will be appropriate.
Under delivery, request plain descriptions of the actual services. Ask who delivers them, how often they are available, and how participation is documented. Under monitoring, ask how the team notices improvement, new concerns, or a need to reconsider the plan. Under alternatives, ask what happens if the facility cannot meet a need or if another level of care is more appropriate. Under continuity, ask how discharge and ongoing support are planned from the start. SAMHSA advises discussing treatment choices with qualified professionals and provides national treatment locators when broader options are needed.
- Fit: How do you evaluate my circumstances, goals, substance use, physical health, mental health, and practical needs?
- Delivery: Which services would actually be available to me, and who would provide them?
- Monitoring: How is progress reviewed, and how can the plan change when needs change? Include who participates in that decision and how it is recorded, so monitoring means more than