In 1991, Congress passed the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act. This act mandated that people who work in safety-sensitive positions in the transportation industry – such as pilots, truck drivers, bus drivers, etc. – are subject to drug testing and alcohol testing, and requires DOT agencies to perform such testing.

 

The Department of Transportation (DOT) requires companies employing individuals performing safety sensitive jobs to conduct the following types of drug and alcohol tests:

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• Pre-Employment

• Random

• Post-Accident

• Reasonable Suspicion

• Return to Duty

• Follow-up

• Pre-Access

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If you are an individual who works in a safety-sensitive job, and you fail (or refuse) a test, your employer is required to immediately remove you from safety-sensitive positions until you have:

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• Undergone an evaluation by a DOT licensed Substance Abuse Professional (SAP)

• Successfully completed any course, counseling or treatment prescribed by the SAP

• Undergone a follow-up evaluation by the same SAP to determine if you have complied with their recommendations

• Provided a breath or urine specimen which tests negative for drugs or alcohol

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Benefits of the DOT/SAP Process:

Under CFR 49 Part 40, an individual testing positive MUST be referred to a Qualified Substance Abuse Professional (SAP)

 

The SAP Mr. Johnny Ybarra at Behavioral Support Center, LLC will provide:

• Face-to-face & Telehealth clinical drug and alcohol assessment

• Case-management & monitoring

• Follow-up testing schedule

• Compliance interview

• All reports meet Department of Transportation requirements

 

An agency such as The Department of Transportation (DOT), and The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for out of state persons driving under the influence (DUI), often require an assessment to be performed by a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP).  An SAP protects the public safety and is neither an advocate for the employer, nor the employee, but a professional evaluator who recommends the appropriate education and/or treatment, follow-up tests, and aftercare.

 

Transportation workers who have had a positive drug or alcohol test are required by law to have an alcohol and drug assessment by a certified substance abuse professional (SAP) as part of their return to duty process.  This includes all drivers and employees in aviation, trucking, railroads, mass transit, gas pipelines, and other safety-sensitive workers.  The SAP assessment specifies the education/treatment the worker must satisfactorily complete before the employer can begin the return to work process.

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