WHEN IT’S GOOD TO BE CALLED A SAP


BY DR. TAULÉ, NMS MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.


No one wants it to happen but when an employee fails a substance abuse test, it’s time to call in a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) to help those in safety- sensitive positions return to work.


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esignated by the Department of Transportation (DOT), a Substance Abuse Professional or “SAP” (an unfortunate acronym) is a licensed, certified


individual tasked with safeguarding the return-to-duty process for employees who have failed DOT drug and/or alcohol tests. Similar to Medical Review Officers (MROs) or Breath Alcohol Technicians (BATs), SAPs assess the employee’s situation


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through testing and mandated face-to-face interviews, designate a treatment protocol, and evaluate the employee’s potential success for maintaining a drug and/or alcohol-free regimen that enables them to return to work. The primary safety objective of DOT’s rules and regula-


tions is to prevent alcohol and controlled substance users from performing safety-sensitive functions. When it does happen,


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