TexasCHLforum.com

Good morning everyone. Does anyone happen to have a recommendation on a gun friendly substance abuse counselor in or around the Houston area? And let me just say i know what yall are thinking and no i do not have a substance abuse problem however i was arrested 11 years ago on a drug charge and completed deferred adjudication and before yall ask i am eligible for a CHL. I do meet all the eligibility requirements however as part of my probation i did have to complete a outpatient program. I contacted the place and they only keep records for 6 years so they have no records of me completed or attending the course. I have submitted all paperwork to DPS and did my online application took the class and had my fingerprints already done. But since i can not furnish a letter for my treatment history from the facility i will have to go to a counselor and have an evaluation done to state i am of sound mind and judgment and what not on the form DPS is sending me. I would like to find a gun friendly one as to not have them get any bright ideas because they are anti gun or anything like that and maybe not submit the paperwork or alter the fact that i am a straight lace law abiding citizen now and have been for almost 10 years. any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

I have tried to hit it on a google search an that is proving to be absolutely no help whatsoever

Can you attend the location you originally went to (that didn't keep your records)? Seems to me that they owe you that much, since their records retention policy caused this problem.

This is a situation where I would want a personal referral (i.e. someone who knows the counselor personally). I would not want this sort of evaluation done based on just searching someone out.

The first thing that jumps into my mind is asking your pastor (or a pastor you may know if you're not active in a church) if they know someone. If you don't know your pastor well enough to know his stance on guns (or if you don't have a pastor), you may ask some of your friends to help with a referral from their pastor.

My stance on this may be biased. I go to the range periodically with my pastor. What I do know about my pastor (aside from his stance on guns) is that he is very good at referring people to counselors specific to certain situations (i.e. he has a "go to guy" for young marriages in trouble, he has a "go to guy"for teens in trouble, etc.).

As an aside, congratulations on getting (and staying) sober!

you know what i honestly did not even think about asking the original facility to do it so that is definitely an option. yeah i am really doing my best to try to find someone that has either been referred to me as being gun friendly or is very openly gun friendly as i do not really want to go down a phone list and call alot of them and start the conversation of with "are you oppose to or for CHL's". I didnt think about pastor either that seems like a very logical way to go. Ultimately i was hoping maybe just maybe someone on here had been through a similar situation and could tell me who they used to get this stuff done.

Chetter818 wrote:you know what i honestly did not even think about asking the original facility to do it so that is definitely an option. yeah i am really doing my best to try to find someone that has either been referred to me as being gun friendly or is very openly gun friendly as i do not really want to go down a phone list and call alot of them and start the conversation of with "are you oppose to or for CHL's". I didnt think about pastor either that seems like a very logical way to go. Ultimately i was hoping maybe just maybe someone on here had been through a similar situation and could tell me who they used to get this stuff done.

Understood. I wish I could help further. There may be some on this forum who can help with more specific recent information.

The pastor idea is the best I can do at the moment.

Good luck to you...

You should start with what types of certifications (if any) are required for the counselor/provider. I know that in the case of pilots, the FAA will only accept the opinions of specific types of counselors. I have no idea if the state of Texas is the same way.

Also note - this type of thing can be Very Expensive. There is very little upside for a mental health professional in terms of certifying that you are no longer a substance abuse risk if you're seeking a firearm. It's a "substantial liability" situation. In fact, I'm not sure that I would mention that I'm pursuing a firearm, I'd mention that the state requires certification for a type of license that you're looking into.

Finding a "firearm friendly" mental health professional that deals with substance abuse is going to be an interesting search.

Yeah that actually makes a lot of sense. I guess i didnt think of it that away. Seems as though they would have very little to gain from a monetary stand point and they would be putting their name on the line essentially for a random stranger. i do like the way you said to approach it and also that would kind of open the doors to not having to find a gun friendly counselor per say. Thanks.

and also just reread the comment by CBR and i only lost the ability to purchase firearms while my probation was actually in affect. Since completing it i have no issues purchasing them its just getting the necessary paperwork to be able to conceal carry one.

Many people have satisfied court requirements for outpatient counseling through AA. Check with the court first but it is a possibility. Remember you probably only need the record on your official court docs to make it viable and many AA groups will sign court attendance slips. Also, they are completely non-judgmental and whether you've been "dry" 1 minute or 10+ years they can be a nice addition to your network of friends...

Depending on where you are in Houston there are some very good groups. Like someone else said, you might also talk to your church or one you may know also. Chances are they may have support an AA fellowship in the area.

BTW, there is no need to mention the CHL aspect of this. You are simply trying to get this officially recognized and recorded in the court records so you can put this behind you; which is 100% true.

Congrats on 10+ years!

Thank you on the congrats. Surprisingly it was and has been really simple. yeah i will look into that route as well and see what i can find. Like i said i still dont know if they are going to even make me do it but i have heard similar situations and thats what had to be done to get it to go through.