Lab Testing

Fortaleza Treatment Centers

Mental Health & Substance Abuse Treatment located in Elyria, OH & Cleveland, OH

Lab testing provides objective data about your health. Fortaleza Treatment Centers in Elyria and Cleveland, Ohio, has mental health clinics that specialize in addiction treatment. The centers offer many programs that support recovery from substance abuse, including services for those participating in drug court. Fortaleza Treatment Centers provide accurate lab testing for those who need drug tests. To find out more about lab testing at the centers, call your nearest office, or schedule an appointment online today.

Lab Testing Q & A

What is lab testing?

Lab testing is a tool health professionals use to assess health. It involves taking a sample of blood or urine and sending it to a lab for analysis. The lab determines if your sample falls within the normal range. 

Your primary care provider uses lab testing to evaluate organ function and screen for health conditions. 

When having labs drawn, it’s important to follow the pre-test instructions to get the most accurate results. What you eat or drink may alter the results. Medications can also change the results of your lab testing. The test itself may also affect the accuracy of your lab work.

Fortaleza Treatment Centers understands the many factors that influence the accuracy of your lab test. Because the mental health centers specialize in addiction treatment for reentry services and their adult transition program for drug court, accurate drug testing is essential.

They use an outside lab to run these types of tests.

Who needs lab testing?

At Fortaleza Treatment Centers, anyone participating in addiction treatment or medication-assisted treatment (MAT) may need lab testing. Participation in these programs may require regular drug tests to monitor compliance.

The mental health centers also need lab testing for drug court participants. Random drug testing is a requirement for these intensive long-term substance abuse recovery programs.

The board-certified psychiatrists at Fortaleza Treatment Centers may also order labs following a mental and physical evaluation to rule out medical conditions that might explain symptoms, such as a thyroid disorder. 

What type of lab testing checks for drugs?

The type of lab testing you need for your drug test depends on the reason for the test and the types of drugs your provider is looking for.

Most drug tests use a urine sample to look for commonly abused drugs. However, Fortaleza Treatment Centers tests more than just urine when performing a lab test for drugs because urine samples aren’t always accurate. 

In addition to a urine sample, your provider may collect saliva, which is harder to manipulate than urine and may provide more accurate results. 

However, urine and saliva testing only detect recent drug use. Fortaleza Treatment Centers may also collect hair follicles for drug testing, which can detect drug use as far back as 90 days.

To learn more about lab testing at Fortaleza Treatment Centers, call the center most convenient to you, or schedule a consultation online today.