Professionals who are qualified for diagnosing, treating, and providing documentation for individuals who have been rehabilitated for drug addiction or alcoholism include physicians with a specialty in addiction; clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and licensed mental health professionals; or State Health Department certified addiction counselors who are supervised by psychologists or psychiatrists. The diagnostician must be an impartial individual who is not a family member of the student.

The term "qualified individual with a disability" shall not include any student who is currently engaging in the illegal use of drugs or alcohol.

The following guidelines are provided to assist the Disability Services Director in collaborating with each student to determine appropriate accommodations. Documentation serves as the foundation that legitimizes a student’s request for appropriate accommodations. Recommended documentation includes:

1. A clear statement of successful completion of a supervised drug/alcohol rehabilitation program with the DSM-IV diagnosis. A dated statement attesting to the compliance with appropriate post-rehabilitation treatment (the age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the disabling condition, the current status of the student and the student’s request for accommodations);
2. A summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis;
3. A summary of qualitative and quantitative information which supports the diagnosis;
4. Medical information related to the student’s needs to include the impact of medication on the student’s ability to meet the demands of the post-secondary environment.

Further assessment by an appropriate professional may be required if co-existing learning disabilities or other disabling conditions are indicated. The student and the UM-Helena Disability Services Director collaboratively determine appropriate accommodations.