SAP vs. EAP

Substance Abuse Professionals (SAPs) have different roles than EAPs. The role of a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is strictly to determine the level of drug and/or alcohol use or abuse; to make recommendations for substance abuse treatment or education; to monitor the offenders’ compliance and to report violations and advise on follow-up testing programs for future monitoring. SAPs are specialists in maintaining DOT compliance. An Employee Assistance Program counselor deals with a spectrum of emotional issues that affect employees, such as relationships, family stress, anxiety and substance abuse. An EAP counselor utilizes different procedures and requirements concerning confidentiality. The majority of EAP counselors do not meet the qualification standards required to perform DOT mandated SAP evaluations.