The Steps of the SAP Return-to-Duty Process:

1. Initial Evaluation: In-depth clinical evaluation and treatment recommendations, reported to the employer and/or federal administration. If the employee does not successfully complele the Initial Evaluation recommendations, the employee is not eligible to return to safety-sensitive functions.
   
   
2. Referral / Recommended Course of Action: taking into account, the severity of need, work schedule, location and cost.
   
   
3. Tracking: follows employees through treatment, or recommendations to ensure compliance and reports progress to employer.
   
   
4. Follow-Up Evaluation: to determine if the employee has complied with the Substance Abuse Professional's recommendations. Follow-up testing and an after care plan may be scheduled at this point.
   
   
5. Continuing Treatment / Aftercare Recommendation: when appropriate once the employee has returned to a safety-sensitive position.
   
   
6. Follow-Up Testing Plan: (provided to the employer)
   Note: As defined and regulated in 49 CFR Part 40, the Follow-Up Testing Plan is provided to the employer, cannot be released to the employee and is implemented by the employer AFTER the employee is cleared by the SAP and returns to safety sensitive duty. The Follow Up Plan is NOT to be considered the same testing requirement of 12 months of random screening as often required by the USCG and is required to be implemented by the employer as outlined in 49 CFR Part 40.
   
   
7. Return to Duty Drug Test (can only be ordered and documented by the employer)
   Note: As defined and regulated in 49 CFR Part 40, the employer must order a Return to Duty drug test after receiving the SAP RTD completion paperwork with the Follow Up Testing Plan for the purpose of establishing eligibility of returning to safety sensitive duty. The employee must test negative in order to be eligible to be reinstated to safety sensitive duty. All FMCSA employers MUST enter the negative test result date INTO THE CLEARINGHOUSE.
   
   - If the SAP reports that the employee has successfully complied with the recommendation, the employer will decide whether to arrange for a return-to-duty test for the employee. (The employer is not obligated to take the employee back.)
   
   
8. Follow-Up Testing Plan Implementation (can only be perfomed and documented by the employer)
   As defined and regulated in 49 CFR Part 40, the employer must implement the Follow Up Testing Plan as prescribed by the SAP once the employee returns to safety sensistive duty for the purpose of verifying continued compliance with safety sensitive duty. All FMCSA employers MUST enter the date of the last Follow Up Test (completion date) INTO THE CLEARINGHOUSE.
   

Note: Substance abuse treatment (outpatient or inpatient) will ONLY be recommended if it is indicated and needed as determined by professional evaluative instruments and guidelines such as the ASAM PPC2 Criteria and DSM 5 severity scales. If treatment is not needed, then Drug/Alcohol Awareness education in the form of classes, counseling sessions and/or 12 step recovery meeting attendance will be more than likely required.

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Note: An employee who has not successfully complied with the SAP's recommendation may not return to safety-sensitive functions for any DOT employer until the SAP's recommendations have been fully met and the employee is able to provide a negative return-to-duty test.

• Baton Rouge, LA 70808
  
  
• New Orleans, LA 70114
  
  
• Houma, LA 70363
  
  
• Morgan City, 70380
  
  
• Lafayette, LA 70501
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

What is the Return-to-Duty Process?


• The DOT SAP return-to-duty process is explained here. The process itself can be lengthy and involved if ongoing treatment for substance abuse is indicated. An employee who has been removed from duty because of a violation must successfully complete this process before he/she can be considered for return to duty or be hired by a different DOT-covered employer.
  
  When is the Return-to-Duty Process necessary?
  
  
• Federal Department of Transportation Alcohol and Drug Testing Rules: Department of Transportation regulations require that any safety-sensitive individual who refuses a test can not provide the specimen in a timely manner, tests positive for drugs, or has a breath alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater must be immediately removed from duty and referred to a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP).
  
  
• A positive test is a violation. A refusal to be tested is also a violation, as well as number of other things that are prohibited by DOT. For a full explanation of DOT rules and regulations, please visit their website.
  
  
• When an employee has a positive test or refuses to be tested or has one of the other violations, DOT requires the employer to immediately remove that employee from safety-sensitive functions. An employer who allows an employee with a violation to continue performing safety-sensitive functions is subject to fines of up to $10,000 per day.
  
  
• An employee who has a violation has two options.
  
  
• He/she can find another job, outside of the transportation industry.
  
  or
  
  
• He/she can be considered for returning to safety-sensitive functions in the transportation industry, but only after successfully completing the DOT return-to-duty process, and then providing a negative result on a return-to-duty drug and/or alcohol testing.
  
  
• The return-to-duty process requires involvement of a qualified and trained Substance Abuse Professional, or a SAP.

The Process at a "Glance": Face-to-face initial clinical evaluation of the employee. SAP sends report to the employer, specifying the SAP's recommendation for treatment and/or education. The SAP monitors the employee progress in the recommended program of treatment and/or education. When the SAP feels that the employee has made sufficient progress, the SAP will schedule a follow-up evaluation for the employee. Based on the follow-up evaluation, the SAP will report to the employer that the employee has successfully complied with the SAP's recommendation (or that the employee has not complied.) - If the SAP reports that the employee has successfully complied with the recommendation, the employer will decide whether to arrange for a return-to-duty test for the employee. (The employer is not obligated to take the employee back.) - If the employee has not successfully complied with the Initial Evaluation recommendations, the employee is not eligible to return to safety-sensitive functions.

Addiction Professionals of Louisiana