<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><feed xml:lang="en-us" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"><title type="text">Wellness Posts by petenielsen</title><subtitle type="text">Wellness Posts by petenielsen</subtitle><id>uuid:beb3c4d1-7563-4834-a81c-1d5a3994a3f9;id=114734</id><rights type="text">Copyright 2026, Wellness.com, Inc. All rights reserved.</rights><updated>2010-12-15T10:24:01Z</updated><category term="Wellness Posts" /><logo>https://www.wellness.com/content/images/logo.gif</logo><author><name>Wellness.com, Inc.</name><uri>https://www.wellness.com/</uri><email>support@wellness.com</email></author><generator>Wellness.com Gazelle Rss Generator</generator><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.wellness.com/" /><entry><id>uuid:beb3c4d1-7563-4834-a81c-1d5a3994a3f9;id=114735</id><title type="text">What does the term  "Qualified Department of Transportation Substance Abuse Professional Evaluation" mean?</title><summary type="html">&lt;a href='http://www.wellness.com'&gt;Wellness.com&lt;/a&gt; - &lt;a href='https://www.wellness.com/blog/23236/what-does-the-term-qualified-department-of-transportation-substance-abuse-professional-evaluation-mean/petenielsen'&gt;What does the term  "Qualified Department of Transportation Substance Abuse Professional Evaluation" mean?&lt;/a&gt; by &lt;a href='https://www.wellness.com/user/70187/petenielsen'&gt;petenielsen&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Many people are confused by the term Qualified Department of Transportation Substance Abuse Professional (DOT SAP) Evaluation. This blog will clarify for you or someone you know what is meant by DOT SAP Evaluation.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;If you were positive on a drug test you may be required to have a substance abuse evaluation in order to return to your position or obtain a new job. To help you better understand the purpose of a substance abuse evaluation, please read the &lt;br/&gt;information below:&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;The following are quotes derived from the  U. S. Department of Transportation Guidelines&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;What is A Substance Abuse Professional?&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;The Substance Abuse Professional Guidelines , United States Department of Transportation&lt;br/&gt;"THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROFESSIONAL&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;SECTION I:  INTRODUCTION&lt;br/&gt;The Department of Transportation (DOT) regulation - 49 CFR Part 40 - defines the Substance &lt;br/&gt;Abuse Professional (SAP) as a person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT &lt;br/&gt;drug and alcohol regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, &lt;br/&gt;follow-up testing, and aftercare.  In order to be a SAP, you need to have certain credentials, &lt;br/&gt;possess specific knowledge, receive training, and achieve a passing score on an &lt;br/&gt;examination.  There is also a continuing education requirement."&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;What is A substance abuse evaluation?&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;" a comprehensive face-to-face assessment and clinical evaluation to determine what level of &lt;br/&gt;assistance the employee needs in resolving problems associated with alcohol use or &lt;br/&gt;prohibited drug use." The evaluator recommends "a course of education and/or treatment &lt;br/&gt;with which the employee must demonstrate successful compliance prior to returning to DOT &lt;br/&gt;safety-sensitive duty.  Treatment recommendations can include, but are not limited to:  In-&lt;br/&gt;patient treatment, partial in-patient treatment, out-patient treatment, education programs, and &lt;br/&gt;aftercare.  Education recommendations can include, but are not limited to bonafied drug and &lt;br/&gt;alcohol education courses, self-help groups, and community lectures."&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;How To Begin&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;* The first step is to call and arrange an appointment&lt;br/&gt;* The initial evaluation is usually 2-3 1/2 hours&lt;br/&gt;* After the evaluation a report is generated. The evaluator then explains any recommendations&lt;br/&gt;* When your recommendations are finished, you are given a completion report. The completion report indicates your return to duty plan.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For more information on this subject www.petenielsen.com or call 1-877-644-5411.</summary><published>2010-12-15T10:24:01Z</published><updated>2026-10-20T17:43:30Z</updated><author><name>petenielsen</name><uri>https://www.wellness.com/user/70187/petenielsen/blogs</uri><email>support@wellness.com</email></author><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.wellness.com/blog/23236/what-does-the-term-qualified-department-of-transportation-substance-abuse-professional-evaluation-mean/petenielsen" /></entry></feed>