RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Advisability of Substance Abuse Testing in Parents Who Severely Maltreat Their Children: The Issue of Drug Testing before the Juvenile/Family Courts
JF Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online
JO J Am Acad Psychiatry Law
FD American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
SP 217
OP 223
VO 16
IS 3
A1 Famularo, Richard
A1 Spivak, Gayl
A1 Bunshaft, Doris
A1 Berkson, Jeffrey
YR 1988
UL http://jaapl.org/content/16/3/217.abstract
AB The authors discuss the advisability of juvenile courts requiring urine testing for parents who severely maltreat (abuse and/or neglect) their children. While urine testing for substance abuse is not sufficient to ensure adequate treatment, it is important as part of the overall substance abuse treatment in a selected group of parents. An objective of this article is to offer specific urine testing guidelines in the context of child maltreatment cases in which the court considers removing children from parental custody to state custody. Although potentially useful, urinalysis to detect abused substances has limitations and is appropriate only in well-defined situations. Effective treatment of the substance-abusing, child-maltreating parent must be multimodal, with treatment of substance abuse as the first and most important step.