When an arrest is made for OWI in the State of Iowa, a substance abuse evaluation must be ordered to be completed.
In Johnson County (Iowa City) the judge will order that this substance abuse evaluation be completed within 10 days. This is one of the most immediate deadlines that will occur with an OWI arrest. Therefore, as soon as a defendant is released from jail for an OWI, they should contact a substance abuse evaluator and schedule an appointment.
Also in Johnson County, the defendant will be given a list of local clinics that offer substance abuse evaluations. Many of these centers will charge around $100 for the evaluation. A defendant can expect to spend about one hour discussing their history of substance abuse with the evaluator. Questions will be asked regarding all forms of substance abuse, ranging from alcohol to illegal drugs and prescription drugs.
At the conclusion of the evaluation, the counselor will make a recommendation. This recommendation could state that the defendant has no substance abuse problems and therefore requires no treatment. The evaluator could also request outpatient sessions, or even inpatient committal. For most young people involved in a solitary OWI event, outpatient is the most restrictive treatment that is recommended.
The evaluation is confidential. That means the defendant must sign a written release for the Court or county attorney to have access to the evaluation. Since the Court is ordering that these evaluations be completed, it is generally a good idea to release the reports to the Court and to the County Attorney.
In almost all cases, the Court will require that the Defendant complete the recommended treatment as part of their case.