Testing that supports your recovery

Why people in recovery choose testing on their own

Plenty of people who choose testing are not in trouble. They are doing the work and want a way to show it. Testing gives you a simple, objective record that answers the question before anyone has to ask it.

• Rebuild trust. A partner, parent or employer who has been hurt before may not be ready to take your word for it. A clean result shared on a regular schedule speaks for you.
• Keep structure after treatment. Leaving residential care, an outpatient program or sober living can feel like losing the guardrails. Random testing keeps one in place.
• Have an easy reason to say no. “I get tested” ends a lot of conversations at a party or a work dinner.
• Catch a slide early. If things start to slip, you and your coordinator find out while there is still time to change course.

Testing is a tool, not a verdict about who you are. The National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that a drug test cannot diagnose a substance use disorder and should not be the only basis for decisions about care (NIDA). We treat results the same way: as one piece of information, read by people who know you.

How a recovery monitoring plan works

1. Call us. You talk with a person, not a menu. We ask what you want testing to do for you and who, if anyone, should see your results.
2. Set your plan. Frequency and test types are decided case by case. Someone fresh out of treatment may want more frequent random tests; someone a year in may want a lighter schedule.
3. Authorize who sees results. You name the people who receive results, in writing. That might be a spouse, a parent, a therapist or no one but you.
4. Get notified when to test. You receive an electronic notice when it is time to report, so testing stays random and you do not have to guess.
5. Test by appointment. Come to our office at 12326 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. Outside those hours, testing can be scheduled at other Blackburn locations on the Westside. Mobile testing at your home or work is available for an additional fee.
6. Stay in touch with your coordinator. Results are shared quickly with the people you authorized, and your coordinator is someone you can actually call.

Want the full walkthrough? See how monitoring works or read about our random drug testing program.

The tests we use

Most plans combine a few of these, depending on what you want to show and what you are working to stay away from.

• Instant 12 panel urine cup. Screens for common substances, including opioids, stimulants, benzodiazepines and cannabis, with results in minutes. See the 12 panel urine test.
• Breathalyzer. Shows whether alcohol is in your system right now.
• EtG alcohol test. A urine test that can show drinking over the past several days, not just hours. Learn more about the EtG alcohol test.
• Oral fluid (saliva). Available on request.

An instant screen is a first look, not the last word. When a screen comes back positive, the sample can be sent to one of our partner laboratories for confirmation, so a result you did not earn does not stand. Read how positive results are confirmed.

Two practical notes. First, tell us about every prescription and over-the-counter medication before you test, so results are read correctly. Second, if you are on an EtG plan, be careful with alcohol-based products. Mayo Clinic Laboratories notes that incidental exposure from products such as hand sanitizer and mouthwash can produce detectable EtG (Mayo Clinic Laboratories). Your coordinator can go over what to avoid.

Your results, your call

Results go only to the people you authorize in writing. Nobody else, not a relative who calls asking, not an employer who was not on your list. If your situation changes, talk to your coordinator about updating who receives them.

That privacy is part of why testing works. You stay in charge of the story, and the people you chose get information they can trust.

If you slip

A positive result is not the end of anything. It is information, and it usually means you need more support, not less. Your coordinator will talk it through with you, explain what the result does and does not show, and help you decide what comes next. That might mean more frequent testing for a while, starting therapy, or a period in a structured living environment.

This is the part most testing services skip. Monitoring at Blackburn is the first step, not the last. We are part of a group of Los Angeles programs that can help with whatever the next step turns out to be.

If you or someone you love is in immediate danger, call 911. For a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. For free, confidential treatment referrals any time, the SAMHSA National Helpline is 1-800-662-4357.

What it costs

We keep monitoring low cost on purpose, because a plan only helps if you can stick with it. Your cost depends on how often you test, which tests are in your plan, whether a positive needs lab confirmation, and whether you use mobile testing. Call us and we will walk you through the options, or read what affects the cost of testing.

Need more than testing?

If testing shows you need more help, or you just want more support around your recovery, Blackburn has it close by.

• Therapy and psychiatry

  Licensed therapy and psychiatric care in Los Angeles, for when testing shows that more help is needed or when you simply want someone to talk to.

  Blackburn Clinical Services

• Sober living

  Sober living and sober apartments in West Los Angeles, for when a structured place to live would make the next stretch easier.

  Blackburn Recovery Services

• Mentoring

  One-on-one mentoring for accountability and structure, with a consistent person who checks in and helps you follow through.

  Blackburn Mentoring

• Scholarship help

  Treatment scholarships through our nonprofit, for people who need care and cannot cover the full cost on their own.

  The Blackburn Foundation

Your monitoring coordinator can make the introduction.