Overcome Addictions for a Better Quality of Life
Drugs and alcohol abuse can change the way your brain and body work, forcing you to take some wrong decisions in family life, misbehave at work or cause safety issues at work. If you are already going through some mental health problems, drugs or alcohol can really get in the way of your work performance, in maintaining a stable home life and handling difficult situations.
When alcohol or drug abuse goes untreated, the problems get worse. Your employer may notice signs of substance abuse, suspect addiction issues and ask you for a drug or alcohol test, and in case you test positive, or refuse to get tested, you can be terminated from work. If you are an employee performing safety sensitive functions in the transportation sector, you are supposed to follow not only the safety rules but also the DOT’s rules on substance use. To be eligible to go back to work, you will have to complete your DOT return to duty process.
In order to return to work, it is mandatory to get alcohol and drug evaluation done from a state certified agency as the first step. A qualified counselor of the agency will try to understand the extent of your problem by taking you through an interview process. After proper diagnosis, counseling and a treatment plan will be designed for you to help you. After the successful completion of the treatment plan, the agency will determine if it was a success. A drug and alcohol test is required and is performed under strict supervision. A negative test can ensure DOT return to duty.
Check the Credentials and Experience of the Evaluation Agency
While looking for an alcohol and drug evaluation agency, look for the one that is state certified as well as licensed. Also, the evaluator must be highly experienced in providing assessment, so do not hesitate to find that out, as it is the matter of your employment. An experienced evaluator will work quickly, function ethically and will not over diagnose you; he or she will work with your best interests in their heart.
It is imperative that the report of the evaluator has to be in a professional manner as the employer or the judge, in case of court orders, can identify if the report is done too quickly or if something is amiss. An unprofessional report can backfire on your return to duty DOT. The report of the evaluator must have content that shows that you were professionally and accurately evaluated. You must review your report carefully before it is presented to your employer, judge or any other authority.
Some evaluation agencies have attorneys working with them or can refer you to attorneys, in case you need more guidance with the process, so that the risk of having your assessment turned down is completely eliminated. Also, check out the price that you will have to pay for the alcohol and drug assessment. If your evaluation and report is a complex one, it can cost you more.
You can overcome addiction issues with professional guidance to get your life back on track and SAP return to duty. Affordable Evaluations is a leading agency, whom you can approach for return to duty program and substance abuse evaluations.
