Return to Duty Process and the Substance Abuse Professional

Are you searching for a Substance Abuse Professional due to a failed (or refused) DOT drug and/or alcohol test? If you are tested for an alcohol concentration of .04 or greater, or have tested positive for drugs, you will need to go through the return to duty process which involves seeing a qualified Substance Abuse Professional for evaluation and treatment. You will not be able to return to any safety-sensitive position until you successfully complete the return to duty process and provide a negative follow-up drug and/or alcohol test.

What is a Substance Abuse Professional?

The Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is a person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol program regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.

SAPs represent the major decision point (and in some cases the only decision point) an employer may have in choosing whether or not to place an employee behind the steering wheel of a school bus, in the cockpit of a plane, at the helm of an oil tanker, at the throttle of a train, in the engineer compartment of a subway car, or at the emergency control valves of a natural gas pipeline. Their responsibility to the public is enormous!

SAPs are an advocate for neither the employer nor the employee. Their function is to protect the public interest in safety by professionally evaluating the employee and recommending appropriate education and/or treatment, follow-up tests, and aftercare.

How Does the Return to Duty Process Work?

When an employee has tested positive for drugs and/or alcohol, they will need to see a SAP for their initial evaluation. The SAP professional will recommend appropriate education and/or treatment (based on the assessments of drug and alcohol use) to help the employee get back to their safety-sensitive functions. Once the employee has shown compliance with the outlined protocol, the SAP will evaluate the employee again for a follow-up evaluation. If the employee has shown compliance they can be referred to submit to a return-to-duty drug and/or alcohol test. Once the employee submits a negative return-to duty test result an employer may return them to safety-sensitive duties.

Find a SAP Quickly with SRS

Do you need the help of a Substance Abuse Professional? SRS has a network of qualified SAPs nationwide so that you can get started on the return to duty process. Get in touch today!