substance abuse professional (S.A.P.)

A substance abuse professional (S.A.P.) does chemical dependency assessments for employees who are required to comply with certain federal regulations on substance abuse. Under federal law by the U.S. Department of Transportation, substance abuse professionals must be licensed physicians; licensed or certified psychologists, social workers or employee assistance professionals; or counselors certified through the International Reciprocity Consortium or the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors Certification Commission. In addition, an S.A.P. must have experience in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of people who have disorders related to substance abuse.