Fitness for Duty (FFD) Information

Thank you for considering Mesa Verde Counseling for your Fitness for Duty Evaluation needs.

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The assessment will take about 90 minutes. This can be done via telehealth using Zoom, in person in southern Arizona, or by phone using audio/visual application as a last resort. During the assessment, we will gather information about your mental health history, life, work, and relationships. We will also talk about any alcohol and drug use history. Please be ready to provide any positive test results that prompted the assessment and any other paperwork related to the event that lead to seeking the evaluation. We will also be asking for names and phone/email for your work contacts, such as your supervisor and the human resources person. Even if this employer terminated your employment, we will need to make contact with them.   

 

It is important that you are prepared to discuss all the details surrounding the event that prompted the evaluation, your history, your substance use patterns, and your work history.  Withholding information could reflect negatively on the final recommendation.

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Once the evaluation is completed, we will make a treatment recommendation.  We follow the Department of Transportation (DOT) guidelines on treatment recommendations. Individual counseling AND substance use education are most common in these recommendations. 

 

You will need to find and schedule your counseling with a qualified, licensed provider of your choice.  This is separate from your relationship with Mesa Verde Counseling for the evaluation.  The counselor you choose MUST BE licensed to provide counseling.  The cost of the counseling may or may not be covered by your insurance if you have mental health coverage.  If counseling is not covered, this will be an additional cost to you. 

 

Once the treatment recommendation is complete, we will schedule a follow up appointment.  We will verify that the recommendation was followed and has been completed.    

 

You may be required to submit a sample (urine or blood) for drug/alcohol testing before compliance interview can be scheduled.  Urine or blood test must be an "observed collection" marked as a "Return to Duty" test at the lab.  The sample must be tested in a CLIA approved confirmatory laboratory and results must be sent directly to this provider.  We will send a final compliance report to your employer and provider written documentation verifying that you have completed all the necessary steps/treatment.

 

Your employer will also receive a recommended testing schedule moving forward.  Recommended testing could occur for a period of 5 years after the final report.  This testing schedule will not be sent to you and is intended to be random.

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IT IS ALWAYS UP TO THE EMPLOYER ONLY IF THEY OFFER YOU A JOB, GIVE YOUR JOB BACK, OR ALLOW YOU TO WORK IN A DIFFERENT CAPACITY DURING THIS PROCESS.