INNOVATIVE SOBRIETY SOLUTIONS, LLC a partner of hfcs, Inc.
a partner of hfcs, Inc.
"Bridging the gap between safety and productivity "
DOT RETURN TO DUTY SAP PROCESS: THE 6 STEP BY STEP PLAN
ISSLLC's Substance Abuse Professionals (SAP) are dedicated to protecting the public by offer professional support to you after you have been removed from a safety-sensitive duty. Once you are notified that you have violated a DOT regulation, and have been removed from your safety-sensitive position, you will be given a list of qualified Substance Abuse Professional in your area or you can call us. Then,
Before you can be considered for a return to safety-sensitive duties you must successfully complete the Department of Transportation (DOT) return-to-duty process, which requires involvement of a qualified Substance Abuse Professional (SAP).
Our SAPs will take you through a 5 Step Process:
- Conduct a face-to-face initial employee evaluation and clinical assessment
- Recommend and refer the employee to an appropriate education and/or treatment program.
- Monitor the employee's progress in the education and/or treatment process through contact with the respective provider(s).
- Conduct a face-to-face follow-up evaluation to determine if the employee has fully and successfully complied with the initial evaluation and recommended course of education and/or treatment.
- Provide the Designated Employer Representative (DER) a follow-up evaluation with a drug and/or alcohol-testing plan for the employee for up to five years; along with any recommendations for continuing education and/or treatment.
**Even if your violation is the result of 'missing a test' and you truly are not addicted, you must complete at least, some form of education**
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can Any Drug & Alcohol Counselor Evaluate Me?No. Only a SAP trained by DOT standards may evaluate you in order to meet Federal regulations and requirements. If a non-qualified counselor evaluates you then your return to work will be delayed. And once you have begun working with the SAP, you cannot shop for another one.
Must I see a SAP if I Take a Non-DOT Job?
No. You do not need to go through the SAP process if you seek work from a non-DOT employer. But, if you decide to return to a safety-sensitive position in the transportation industry you must keep in mind that future potential DOT employers must obtain your drug and alcohol testing records from your previous employers from the previous two years. If you have not successfully completed the SAP process, the potential employer cannot hire you until you do so.
No. You do not need to go through the SAP process if you seek work from a non-DOT employer. But, if you decide to return to a safety-sensitive position in the transportation industry you must keep in mind that future potential DOT employers must obtain your drug and alcohol testing records from your previous employers from the previous two years. If you have not successfully completed the SAP process, the potential employer cannot hire you until you do so.
Will My Employer Take Me Back if I Complete the SAP Process?
Your employer is not required to rehire you because you have met the required conditions. This decision actually depends on your employer's written policy or other requirements.
Your employer is not required to rehire you because you have met the required conditions. This decision actually depends on your employer's written policy or other requirements.
Things to Consider When Searching for a SAP:
Entering into the SAP process is a serious and lengthy commitment on your part. But, if you wish to remain in a safety-sensitive job within any DOT regulated position, it is a necessary one. It is therefore important to remember:
- Your choice of a SAP is final. Once you start the return-to-duty process with a SAP there is no turning back! You cannot get a second opinion or re-start the process with another SAP.
- A SAP's decision is final which means you/your employer must accept their treatment and/or education recommendations. If your health insurance or employer does not cover the rec
- ommended plan and you can't pay out-of-pocket then your only option is to seek employment outside the transportation industry.
- The time that has passed since your DOT violation, changes in your life, prior treatment, or 'unique' reasons why you tested positive, will not modify the SAP process.
- No matter how remote your residence is, or the distance to the SAP's office, the return-to-duty process cannot be reduced, an alternate counseling program cannot be used, and evaluations can never be done by telephone.