Screening Assessment & Diagnostic Procedures

The second fundamental element entails the development and employment of sound screening, assessment, and diagnostic procedures. Nay and Ross (1993, p. 317) further explain: "A variety of events may compel a reasonable well-adjusted youth from a functional family to initiate drug use...Given the myriad of possible combinations of person and life factors that may combine to influence a child's use of chemicals, a thorough assessment must be performed." A thorough assessment will adopt a multi-method clinical approach (Nay, 1979).