The Computerized Assessment and Referral System (CARS) has been used since 2017 by professionals within the complex DUI system to identify and diagnose mental health challenges in impaired drivers in efforts to prevent them from reoffending.
Responsibility.org and the Division on Addiction at Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital, have launched CARS Connect, a cloud-based version of the widely used CARS screening tool. Previously only available via download, this free tool is now further equipped to help identify substance use and mental health challenges among individuals in the impaired driving population and beyond, and to connect them to appropriate treatment resources. The increased accessibility will help DUI offenders get services they may need to diagnose and treat co-occurring mental and substance use diagnoses, and the complex DUI system will be better able to keep DUI offenders from reoffending. The use of screening and assessment tools such as CARS Connect will save hundreds of lives per year.
Research shows that nearly half of repeat impaired driving offenders have struggled with their mental health, underscoring the urgent need for accessible screening solutions. Originally envisioned for use by criminal justice practitioners, CARS was created to identify alcohol impaired drivers who also suffer from undiagnosed mental health challenges or substance abuse disorders. Over time, the tool has been adapted for a broader audience to assist anyone in crisis.
“When drunk drivers get the mental health and rehabilitation services they need, they will be less likely to reoffend, which makes all of us safer when we take to the roads” said Leslie Kimball, Executive Director of Responsibility.org. “No one should have to share the road with a drunk driver. The cloud-based nature of CARS Connect removes barriers to access for these individuals who are struggling so they can get the help they need and never reoffend again.”
“One of the challenges of CARS has always been accessibility,” stated Sarah Nelson, Director of Research at the Division on Addiction. “By upgrading the program to a cloud-based system, we are able to reduce technological barriers to its implementation, making CARS Connect easier for professionals to access and use. This will allow CARS to reach, accommodate, and facilitate treatment for more people, thus saving more lives.”
Responsibility.org strongly recommends that all states require screening and assessment of alcohol impaired drivers for both mental health and substance use disorders. Identifying underlying issues that contribute to impaired driving and providing appropriate services is essential to breaking the cycle of recidivism.
For more information and to access CARS Connect, visit www.carsconnect.org.
