Understanding the DOT SAP Process

Are you a DOT mandated safety-sensitive employee who recently failed a drug or alcohol test, or refused to take one? Is your job on the line as a result? If so, you need to understand the return-to-duty process mandated by the DOT, so that you can quickly regain your employer’s confidence and get yourself back to work. Read on to learn about the DOT SAP process, and how SAP Referral Services helps get you through it quickly and efficiently.

The Initial Evaluation and Beyond

Getting back to work is not a simple matter of taking and passing another drug test.  Rather, it requires you to demonstrate a real commitment to recovery. The process starts with you sitting down with a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) for an evaluation of your drug and/or alcohol use. Be honest and help this professional understand your usage as much as you possibly can. The greater the effort you make, the better your chances for recovery and getting back to work.

The SAP will make treatment and/or education recommendations for you based on what he/she learned during the interview. The next step of the process involves completing this program: taking the classes you are supposed to take and going through the recommended treatment process.

Once you have finished, it is time for a follow-up meeting with the same Substance Abuse Professional you met with before. He or she will evaluate the progress you have made. They are looking for clues that your treatment has genuinely made gains to help with the issues that were identified earlier. Finally, the SAP will make a recommendation about whether or not you are ready to submit to a return-to-duty test.

Return-to-Duty Testing

A return-to-duty test can prove that you are clean and fit to return to your previous safety-sensitive duties. You should be aware that the DOT requires you to take a minimum of six of these tests over a twelve-month period. However, you could also be required to take many more tests than that. In all, the process could take up to five years to complete.

If you pass the return-to-duty test you are proving your ability to responsibly and safely perform your safety-sensitive duties. After that, the ball is in your employer’s court, who will make the final decision to return you to a safety-sensitive position.

SAP Referral Services Can Help with the DOT SAP Process

At SAP Referral Services we can help you minimize the time it takes you to complete the return-to-duty process and maximize your chances of returning to work. We have access to experienced, DOT-qualified SAPs across the US. With our FastTrack Enrollment we make finding DOT-qualified SAPs in your area quick and easy.

SAP Referral Services (SRS) is the leading facilitator for mandated substance abuse evaluations. SRS maintains an extensive network of qualified providers in more than 3,000 locations nationwide for testing violations that originate from any of the DOT’s modes including FMCSA, FAA, FRA, FTA, USCG and PHMSA, or a company’s internal drug and alcohol testing policy.