FORT PIERCE - Beginning Friday, Oct. 16, participants of the Drug Court, Mental Health Court and the Pretrial Program will have a new Drug Screening Hotline phone number to call. The new phone number is (772) 462-6748.
The St. Lucie County Drug Screening Lab will take over the telephone hotline operation by providing the participants in the St. Lucie County Drug Court, Mental Health Court and the Pretrial Program a local number to call for their drug screenings. The existing toll free number will be discontinued due to escalating costs.
The hotline is used to notify participants when they have to submit to random drug screens as a result of their court order. Screenings are generated by computer and are based on the birth month of the participant. The hotline has been used for many years circuit-wide, and has been instrumental in substance abuse treatment.
The St. Lucie County Drug Screening Lab provides drug screens for many local and state agencies, as well as private businesses. Parents use the drug lab as well, to screen their children before they can obtain driving privileges or just to make sure their children remain drug free.
Monday, Oct. 19 is the beginning of Drug Free Work Place Week and the St. Lucie County Drug Screening Lab offers businesses in the area the chance to create their own Drug Free Work Place Program free of charge. Businesses already use the lab for pre-employment and work place accident drug screens. A Drug Free Work Place Program can be set up to help employees who have a substance abuse problem, and participants can use the hotline as part of their Drug Free Work Place Program.
A referral for a drug screening can be printed from the St. Lucie County Drug Screening Lab website at
www.slcdrugtesting.com. No appointment is necessary. The cost for a drug screening is $20.
The St. Lucie County Drug Screening Lab is located in Suite 228 on the second floor of the St. Lucie County Courthouse, 218 South 2 nd Street, Fort Pierce. The lab operates Monday - Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. For more information call the Drug Screen Lab Manager Allison Duffy at (772) 462-6739.
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