The employee must follow the SAP's recommendation regarding treatment and education, rather than enter themselves into the program of their choosing, if they are following the return-to-duty process. Treatment options could include in-patient hospitalization, partial in-patient treatment (daytime treatment, not 24hr supervision), and outpatient programs (periodic counseling and support, 1 to 3 times per week). The SAP is required to make treatment or education recommendations that will, as much as possible protect the public safety, for every individual who has violated a DOT drug or alcohol regulation and is entering the return-to-duty process in order to return to safety-sensitive functions.Įxamples of appropriate education options include self-help groups like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, community meetings and lectures with verifiable attendance, and actual drug and alcohol education courses. SAP referral for education and treatment: There really is no other option to get back in. Again, if you can't afford it, you'll have to find a way.
It is the driver's responsibility to pay for the SAP's services, and is between the driver and the SAP.
The SAP will recommend a course of action including education and/or treatment which must be successfully completed before an employee is allowed to return to safety-sensitive functions. The SAP will conduct a face-to-face clinical evaluation and assessment of each individual.
Initial evaluation by SAP: When you go to a SAP after a DOT drug or alcohol violation: Provide recommendations to the employer and employee for continued treatment and education. Provide the employer or representative with a follow-up drug and alcohol testing plan. Refer the employee to the right treatment or education program.Ĭonduct face-to-face follow-ups to make sure that the employee is following the treatment or education program and is complying with the recommendations of the SAP.
The SAP's responsibility is to protect the public interest in safety through professional evaluation, treatment, and follow-up of the employee.Ĭonduct a face-to-face clinical evaluation to determine what help an employee needs to deal with any problems they are having with drugs or alcohol use. They cannot seek a second opinion or re-start the process, and the SAP's evaluations, decisions, and recommendations are final. Once an employee chooses a SAP and begins the process, they must complete the process with that SAP.
If you can't afford to pay for the process, and your employer, if any, is not willing to fund it, your only alternatives really are to find a way to finance it, or find another line of work in the meantime until you can. Payment of such is left solely up to the decisions of employers and employees. You MUST go through the process with a bonafide, qualified, actual SAP.Įmployers are not required to provide the SAP evaluation or subsequent treatment. You will still face an uphill battle to find employment even after jumping through all the hoops, and many companies won't touch you for at least a year or more.įor our purposes, "employee" will also refer to "new employee", and "applicant".Īfter failing a drug or alcohol test and being removed from service, the employer must provide the employee or applicant a list of readily available SAP's at no charge, with names, addresses, and phone numbers. Hiring decisions are still solely given to the employers. Refusing to submit to a drug or alcohol test, not showing up for a test, or otherwise not being able to produce a sample for testing is usually counted as a failure.Ĭompletion of the return-to-duty process does not obligate any company to hire you back, or hire you at all. It cannot be stressed enough that having a failed drug test on your record could make you completely unhireable and ruin your truck driving career.įailing a drug or alcohol test requires that a driver be removed immediately from performing safety-sensitive functions.
Having a failed drug or alcohol test on your record will make getting another driving job very, very difficult for at least a year, and probably longer. As a condition of being an interstate driver, all CDL holders will be subject to regular DOT drug and alcohol testing.Īny driver failing a drug or alcohol test will be required to complete a return-to-duty process with a DOT-qualified substance abuse professional (SAP).