Drug and alcohol testing for attorney referrals

Who refers clients to us

• Criminal defense attorneys whose clients need court ordered testing or want a voluntary testing record
• Family law attorneys whose clients have court ordered testing
• Case managers and advocates working with clients in diversion or other programs that permit outside testing
• Attorneys representing licensed professionals who are also navigating a monitoring program (see support for professionals)

If your client is the one looking for testing, our page on court ordered drug testing is written for them.

Before you refer: confirm what is required

We test and we document. We do not give legal advice, and we cannot promise that any court, agency or program will accept a particular test. Requirements vary a lot. Some orders name a specific vendor. Some probation departments and programs run their own testing. Some require a particular test type, frequency or reporting format.

Before your client starts, it helps to confirm:

• Whether a specific testing vendor is required, or whether outside testing is acceptable
• Which tests are needed (urine drug screen, breath alcohol, EtG, saliva)
• How often, and whether testing must be random or on a fixed schedule
• Whether chain of custody documentation is required
• Who should receive results, and in what form

Bring that information to us and we will tell you plainly whether we can set up testing to match it. Our page on how to refer a client lists what to send.

What we provide

• Testing by appointment. At our office at 12326 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, or at other Blackburn locations on the Westside outside those hours. Mobile testing at a client’s home or work is available for an additional fee. We do not take walk-ins.
• Random or scheduled testing. Clients on a random plan receive an electronic notice when to report, so test dates are not predictable.
• A range of tests. An instant 12 panel urine cup covering common substances such as opioids, stimulants, benzodiazepines and cannabis; breathalyzer; EtG urine testing for recent drinking; and saliva on request. See tests we offer.
• Chain of custody documentation when the matter calls for it.
• Partner laboratory confirmation of positive screens, so an instant screen is not the final word. See how confirmation works.
• Results shared quickly with you and anyone else your client authorizes in writing, and with no one else.

How a referral works

1. Call us. You or your client calls. Tell us the requirement and the timeline.
2. Your client signs an authorization. Your client authorizes, in writing, that results go to you and to anyone else they choose.
3. We set the plan. Tests and frequency are set to match the requirement you confirmed, or case by case if testing is voluntary.
4. Testing begins. By appointment, with chain of custody documentation if needed.
5. You receive results. Promptly, as authorized, with confirmation results following for any positive screen sent to a partner laboratory.
6. One point of contact. A monitoring coordinator who knows your client is available by phone if a question comes up.

Accuracy matters more in legal matters

An instant screen is a presumptive result. The National Institute on Drug Abuse describes drug testing as a two-step process, with an initial screen followed by confirmation of positive results, and notes that a test result alone should not drive important decisions (NIDA). In a legal matter, that distinction matters. Ask your client to tell us about every prescription and over-the-counter product before testing. For alcohol, EtG testing can be affected by incidental exposure to alcohol-based products such as hand sanitizer and mouthwash (Mayo Clinic Laboratories), so clients on EtG should know what to avoid. More on the EtG alcohol test.

Your client gets more than a test

Many clients facing a legal requirement are also dealing with a real substance use problem. Testing documents where things stand; it does not fix anything. Because Blackburn Monitoring is part of a group of Los Angeles programs, your client can be connected to a clinical assessment and therapy, psychiatric care, sober living, one-on-one mentoring, or scholarship help for treatment, if they want it. Whether any of that is relevant to the matter is your judgment. We simply make sure the help is there.

Testing for your client is low cost. What a plan costs depends on frequency, test types, lab confirmation, chain of custody documentation and mobile collection. See what affects cost.

Blackburn Monitoring does not provide legal advice and does not perform DOT regulated testing. Nothing on this page is a promise that a court, agency or program will accept any test result.

Need more than testing?

When your client needs help beyond documentation, these Blackburn programs are close by.

• Therapy and psychiatry

  Assessment, therapy and psychiatric care in Los Angeles.

  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.