It is essential to carefully consider and clearly articulate the purpose of the substance-testing program. Without a clear goal in mind, other decisions will be more difficult. A purpose statement should describe briefly:

• What is to be accomplished by substance testing.

• How it will be done.

• Who will be tested.

• Who is responsible.

• When testing will occur.

• How results will be used, including what treatment resources will be used.

• What objectives are not to be pursued through the program. (For example, if results of tests are to be used for case management, and not for punitive purposes, this should be stated clearly.)

• Assessment and treatment. Substance testing is used to identify youth whose use of alcohol and other drugs requires treatment and to monitor their progress in treatment (Pretrial Services Resource Center, 1998).

• Health and safety assessment. This is particularly important when youth enter programs directly from the community (such as in detention or after furloughs from residential facilities). If youth have abused substances, they may need medical care or special supervision to ensure their own and others' safety. Some drugs can cause life-threatening effects; withdrawal from some drugs also can be dangerous.

• Case planning. Results of substance testing may be used as part of the information needed to process youth through the juvenile justice system. They may be a factor in determining whether a youth should be released from detention and what sanctions and treatment are needed.

• Compliance monitoring and supervision. Youth may be ordered by the court to abstain from using alcohol or other psychoactive substances. Substance testing is necessary to enforce these judicial orders. This does not necessarily mean that youth must be severely punished if they use drugs, but it gives juvenile justice personnel information they need for case management (Mieczkowski and Lersch, 1997; Pretrial Services Resource Center, 1998).

• Epidemiological analysis. Substance testing helps juvenile justice professionals learn the incidence and prevalence of substance abuse and the types of chemicals being abused in the communities they serve. The results provide information for planning and evaluation (Mieczkowski and Lersch, 1997).