As of September 22nd, 2006 the US Department of Transportation has adopted regulations to implement legislation passed in 2005 adding state-licensed or certified marriage and family therapists to the list of credentialed professionals eligible to serve as substance abuse professionals (SAPs). This is an extraordinary development for the profession because, since SAPs were first utilized in 1994, only licensed physicians, licensed or certified social workers, licensed or certified psychologists, licensed or certified employee assistance professionals, and ICRC member certified drug and alcohol counselors have been allowed to be SAPs.
The US Department of Transportation employs over 60,000 individuals across the United States in agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration; the Federal Highway Administration; the Federal Railway Administration; and, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and uses SAPs to evaluate, refer, and monitor transportation employees who have engaged in prohibited drug and alcohol-related conduct. Many more employers across the US have employees who are covered under these regulations and who will utilize SAP services if they violate the US DOT drug and alcohol program rules.
SAPs also play an important role in process of deciding whether such employees can be returned to safety-sensitive duties, all of which protects employees, employers, and the public. Interested providers should note that US DOT Substance Abuse Professional qualification is often recognized by private payers and other federal programs so additional professional opportunities may evolve out of this qualification. To become a SAP qualified to provide evaluations under U.S. Department of Transportation drug and alcohol programs eligible licensed professionals (identified above) must have knowledge of and clinical experience in the diagnosis and treatment of substance-abuse related disorders; knowledge of applicable regulations and guidelines; complete mandatory training; pass a qualifying examination; and fulfill an on-going continuing education requirement.
The US Department of Transportation does not qualify or publish a list of SAPs, rather individual practitioners qualify by complying with applicable requirements and maintaining the proof of their qualification (training completion and examination documentation). Eligible licensed professionals who are interested in becoming US DOT SAPs can click on the link below to read the new rules. Program Services Continuing Education is listed on the US DOT website as a provider of SAP training and testing.
We offer the US DOT Substance Abuse Professional Qualification Training and National Exam by immediate access online course. Also available are the US DOT Substance Abuse Professional renewal courses (12 CE Credit requirement) which have to be completed every 36 months. For more information visit our course catalog. The link is at the top of this page. To visit the US DOT website for information about their Drug and alcohol program paste this link into your browser address bar. http://www.dot.gov/odapc">http://www.dot.gov/odapc
Program Services now issues an SAP credential (SAP certificate number with an expiration date) at no cost to customers who qualify and renew with us. If you take renewal courses or qualify with another company you may list with us for a fee of $20 per year. Contact us for additional information about our new SAP credential. It may take up to 12 weeks for the SAP credential to be emailed as they are batched every 90 days. Your SAP CE certificate and your license satisfy all federal obligations until your credential arrives. Credentials may not be issued if our records are not complete. We will email any user whose information is incomplete and it is up to them to comply with the information request. Credentialling, however, will be delayed until that record is complete. Contact us for more details.