THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ARMY 1775
Headquarters
Department of the Army
Washington, DC
4 October 2024

*Army Regulation 600–85

Effective 4 October 2024

Personnel—General

The Army Substance Abuse Program

By Order of the Secretary of the Army:

RANDY A. GEORGE

General, United States Army

Chief of Staff

MARK F. AVERILL

Administrative Assistant to the

Secretary of the Army

History. This publication is an administrative revision. The portions affected by this administrative revision are listed in the summary of change.

Authorities. This regulation implements DoDI 1010.01, DoDI 1010.04, and DoDI 1010.09.

Applicability. This regulation applies to the Regular Army, the Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States when in Title 10 status (National Guard in Title 32 status should refer to chapter 15), U.S. Army Reserve, and Department of the Army Civilian employees. Chapter 15 applies specifically to the Army National Guard of the United States, while chapter 16 applies to the U.S. Army Reserve. However, other chapters of the regulation apply to Soldiers of the U.S. Army Reserve and the Army National Guard, when indicated. Chapter 5 applies to Department of the Army Civilian employees. Chapter 6 applies to Department of the Army Civilian employees, Family members, and military retirees.

Proponent and exception authority. The proponent of the deterrence, drug testing, prevention, and training provisions of this regulation is the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1. The proponent of the clinical and rehabilitation provisions of this regulation is The Surgeon General. The proponent of the respective provisions has the authority to approve exceptions or waivers to those provisions that are consistent with controlling law and regulations. The proponent may delegate this approval authority, in writing, to a division chief within the proponent agency or within G9, or its direct reporting unit or field operating agency, in the grade of colonel or the civilian equivalent. Activities may request a waiver to this regulation by providing justification that includes a full analysis of the expected benefits and must include formal review by the activity's senior legal officer. All waiver requests will be endorsed by the commander or senior leader of the requesting activity and forwarded through their higher headquarters to the policy proponent. Refer to AR 25-30 for specific requirements.

Army internal control process. This regulation contains internal control provisions in accordance with AR 11-2 and identifies key internal controls that must be evaluated (see appendix G).

Suggested improvements. Users are invited to send comments and suggested improvements on DA FormDA FormDepartment of the Army form 2028 (Recommended Changes to Publications and Blank Forms) directly to usarmy.pentagon.hqda-dcs-g-1.mbx.command-policy@army.mil.

Committee management approval. AR 15-39 requires the proponent to justify establishing/continuing committee(s), coordinate draft publications, and coordinate changes in committee status with the U.S. Army Special Programs Directorate at email usarmy.pentagon.hqda-hsa.mbx.committee-management@army.mil. Further, if it is determined that an established "group" identified within this regulation later takes on the characteristics of a committee as found in the AR 15-39, then the proponent will follow all AR 15-39 requirements for establishing and continuing the group as a committee.

Distribution. This regulation is available in electronic media only and is intended for the Regular Army, the Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and the U.S. Army Reserve.

*This regulation supersedes AR 600–85, dated 23 July 2020. Army Directive 2018-23, dated 8 November 2018, and Army Directive 2021-21, dated 18 May 2021, are rescinded upon publication of this regulation.

AR 600–85 • 4 October 2024

UNCLASSIFIED

This chapter specifies policies of the ASAPASAPAlcohol Substance Abuse Program pertaining to DA Civilians. (See chapter 7 for DA Ci-vilian eligibility for SUD treatment.) (Additional instructions and procedural guidance are pro-vided in DA PamDA PamDepartment of the Army Pamphlets 600 – 85.)

Generally, this chapter applies to Soldiers. It applies to DA Civilian employees and Family mem-bers where specifically noted.

The procedures described below are meant to assist commanders in distinguishing between mandatory enrolled substance abuse treatment and voluntary alcohol-related treatment by be-havior healthcare. Soldiers who meet the criteria in paragraph 8–2 a are required to enroll and participate in mandatory SUD treatment.

This guide provides basic information to unit commanders about the ASAPASAPAlcohol Substance Abuse Program. The following ques-tions and figures provide a quick overview of the unit commander’s responsibilities, resources, and procedures necessary to participate in and fully support the ASAPASAPAlcohol Substance Abuse Program prescribed by AR 600 – 85.

Adulterated specimen A urine specimen containing a substance that is not a normal constituent or containing an endogenous substance at a concentration that is not a normal physiological concentration.

Air blank A reading by an evidentiary breath test of ambient air containing no alcohol.

Alcohol abuse Any irresponsible use of an alcoholic beverage which leads to misconduct, unacceptable social behavior, or impairment of an individual’s performance of duty, physical or behavioral health, financial responsibility, or personal relationships.

Alcohol level The alcohol in a volume of breath expressed in terms of grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath as indi- cated by an evidentiary breath test. For example, a breath alcohol concentration of 0.04 means 0.04 grams (four one-hundredths of one gram) of alcohol in 210 liters of expired deep lung air.

Alcoholism A treatable, progressive condition or illness characterized by excessive consumption of alcohol to the ex- tent that the individual’s physical and behavioral health, personal relationships, social conduct, or job per- formance are impaired.

Aliquot A fractional part of a specimen used for testing. It is taken as a sample representing the whole specimen.

Army Substance Abuse Program A personnel program that includes deterrence, prevention, and education services. The ASAPASAPAlcohol Substance Abuse Program is respon- sive to the chain of command and supports the combat readiness of the Army.

Army Substance Abuse Program Manager The person having staff responsibility for implementing the ASAPASAPAlcohol Substance Abuse Program at AMCAMCU.S. Army Materiel Command – IMCOMIMCOMU.S. Army Installation Management Command, ACOMACOMArmy service component command, ASCCASCCArmy service component commander, DRUDRUDirect reporting unit, or installation level.

Army Substance Abuse Program records Forms, records, or other documents required by this regulation. This includes any information, whether recorded or not, relating to clients (Soldiers, DA Civilians and/or Family members) who receive services in connection with any function of the ASAPASAPAlcohol Substance Abuse Program.

At risk Servicemembers who are at elevated risk for safety incidents and health problems, including drug over- dose based on the drug or drug(s) detected in urinalysis testing.

Blood alcohol concentration The percent of alcohol (ethyl alcohol or ethanol) in a person’s blood stream. The blood alcohol concentra- tion can be tested by blood sample and breathalyzer testing.

Career For the purposes of this regulation, an Army career is defined as inclusive of all periods of service, includ- ing officer and enlisted Service or a combination of both, when the Soldier is subject to the UCMJUCMJUniformed Code of Military Justice or a or territory military code of justice.

Chain of custody Procedures to account for the integrity of each urine specimen or aliquot, by tracking, handling, and stor- ing from point of specimen collection to the final disposition of the specimen. Documentation of this pro- cess must include the date and purpose each time a specimen or aliquot is handled or transferred and ID of each individual in the chain of custody.

Commerce An interchange of goods or commodities.

Commercial motor vehicle A commercial vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 or more pounds; or is designed to transport 16 or more occupants (to include the drive); or is of any size and is used in the transport of haz- ardous materials that require the vehicle to be placarded.

Confirmation The process of using an analytical procedure to identify the presence of a specific drug or metabolite that is independent of an initial test, and which uses a different technique and chemical principle from that of an initial test in order ensure reliability and accuracy.

Department of Transportation follow–up testing Unannounced or alcohol testing that is required for any employee who has committed a DOT drug or al- cohol regulation violation, and who seeks to resume the performance of safety-sensitive functions. At a minimum the employee must undergo six follow-up tests within the 12-month period following the em- ployee’s resuming the performance of safety-sensitive duties. These tests are not to be confused with fol- low-up testing that is actually part of the counseling or rehabilitative process. Other tests such as random or post-accident testing cannot be submitted for the required follow-up testing.

Designated management official The DMO is the one person on an installation that is responsible for administering the civilian DTP. In most cases, this is the installation ASAPASAPAlcohol Substance Abuse Program manager.

Director, Prevention, Resilience, and Readiness The Director of the DPRR is responsible to the DCSDCSDeputy Chief of Staff, G–3/5/7, G – 1 for the performance of the Army Drug testing Program and DCSDCSDeputy Chief of Staff, G–3/5/7 – G – 1 for the overall ASAPASAPAlcohol Substance Abuse Program.

Drug abuse The use or possession of controlled substances, or illegal drugs, or the nonmedical or improper use of other drugs (for example, prescription and over the counter drugs) that are packaged with a recom- mended safe dosage. This includes the use of substances for other than their intended use (for example, glue and gasoline fume sniffing or steroid use for other than that which is specifically prescribed by com- petent medical authority.)

Drug testing coordinator The DTC is the individual trained to collect UA specimens from DA Civilians as part of the civilian DTP. The DTC is often a certified DTC, though this need not be the case. A DTC performs similar duties for DA Civilians that the UDLs perform for Soldiers.

Drug–Free Federal Workplace Program follow–up testing Unannounced testing that each employee who has been referred to the EAP through the administrative channels to undergo counseling or rehabilitation/treatment for illegal drug use will be subject such testing for period of 1 year upon the completion of the counseling or rehabilitation programs. Frequency of such testing may be stipulated in the abeyance contract or at a frequency determined by the supervisor. Such testing is distinct from testing which may be imposed as part of the counseling or rehabilitation/treatment programs.

Drug–Testing Program software The DoD DTP is software designed to manage and automate a unit-level substance abuse program. The UDL uses the software to maintain a list of personnel in the unit, randomly select Soldiers for drug testing, and print required forms and bottle labels. DTCs may also use the DoD DTP for managing civilian drug testing.

Education and training Education is instruction with increased knowledge, skill, and/or experience as the desired outcome for the student. This is in contrast to training, where a task or performance basis is used, and specific conditions and standards are used to assess individual and unit proficiency (see AR 350 – 1). Awareness training is training used to disseminate information that provides an individual with the basic knowledge/understand- ing of a policy, program, and/or system.

Employee Assistance Program short–term counseling The process whereby the EAP coordinator provides short-term guidance, advice, education, and media- tion to civilian employees for the resolution of employee problems and issues.

Enrollment into mandatory care A formal action taken by the SUD provider based on the presence of a SUD and specific criteria is met by the patient.

Evidentiary breath testing device A device approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the evidentiary testing of breath and placed on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Conforming Products List (CPL) of Evidentiary Breath Measurement Devices.”

Family member Spouse or minor children of a Soldier, or a civilian employee. Use of term in this regulation is intended to include only persons eligible for ASAPASAPAlcohol Substance Abuse Program services by law or regulation.

Forensic The application of scientific principles and techniques to matters of criminal justice especially as related to the collection, examination, and analysis of physical evidence: in drug testing the chain of custody along with analysis must be maintained for suitability of administrative and UCMJUCMJUniformed Code of Military Justice actions.

Gambling disorder Is an addiction similar to SUDs. In addition to causing financial and legal problems, also correlated with an increase in suicide attempts, SUDs and other behavior health conditions.

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry The chemical process where a drug in urine is positively identified and quantified.

Inactive duty USARUSARUnited States Army Reserve duty status not on active duty, includes Inactive Duty Training (IDTIDTInactive duty training).

Initial test A screening test to identify those specimens that are negative for the presence of drugs of their metabo- lites. When negative, these specimens need no further examination and need not undergo a more costly confirmation test.

Installation breath alcohol technician A trained individual, who assists employees/applicants in the alcohol testing process and operates an evi- dentiary breath test device.

Joint Substance Abuse Program officer/Joint Substance Abuse Program coordinator The Joint Substance Abuse Program officer and JSAPC manage the ASAPASAPAlcohol Substance Abuse Program for the ARNGARNGArmy National Guard.

Limited use Protection from the use of certain information, determined to be confidential by Federal regulation, to sup- port disciplinary action under the UCMJUCMJUniformed Code of Military Justice or administrative separation with a less than honorable dis- charge.

Medical evaluation Examination of an individual by a physician to determine whether there is evidence of alcohol or other drug abuse or dependency.

Medical review officer A licensed physician responsible for receiving laboratory results generated from a drug test who has knowledge of substance abuse disorders and has appropriate medical training to interpret and evaluate Soldiers’/employees’/applicants’ confirmed positive tests results together with their medical histories and any other relevant biomedical information.

Prevention Readiness involves the commitment of command resources, policies, installation organizations, and com- munity members to create and foster conditions that promote mission readiness and enhance Army well- being.

Prevention procedures Those actions designed to increase the likelihood that individuals will make responsible decisions regard- ing the use of alcohol or other drugs. Those actions taken to eliminate to the extent possible abuse or misuse of alcohol or other drugs.

Probable cause A reasonable ground in fact and circumstance for a belief in the existence of certain circumstances (as that an offense has been or is being committed, that a person is guilty of an offense, that a particular search will uncover contraband, that an item to be seized is in a particular place, or that a specific fact or cause of action exists).

Problematic substance abuse The use of any substance (to include alcohol) in a manner that puts the user at risk of failing in their re- sponsibilities to mission or family, or that is considered unlawful by regulation, policy, or law.

Professional program management Minimum one-year paid experience in managing a clinical program and managing workload accountabil- ity, administrative accountability, personnel management, and clinical oversight. The managerial job must have included budget planning and fiduciary analysis, implementation of Office of Personnel Management standards and the Merit Systems Protection Board guidelines while conducting personnel hiring actions, supervisory training, disciplinary actions, conducting conflict and problem resolution, conducting quality control program reviews, performing workload and outcome analyses, preparation and submission of sta- tistical reports in federal or corporate work environments, instituting and maintaining performance im- provement initiatives, and the preparing and delivering formal briefings at the corporate or higher HQ lev- els.

Random testing A scientifically valid system of selecting a portion of a command for drug testing without individualized suspicion that a particular individual is using illicit drugs. Each Soldier or civilian will have an equal chance of being selected for drug testing each time this type of inspection is conducted.

Reasonable suspicion An objectively justifiable suspicion that is based on specific facts or circumstances and that justifies stop- ping and sometimes searching (as by frisking) a person.

Rehabilitation/treatment team A coordinating group consisting of the Soldier, the unit commander and/or first sergeant, the treating pro- vider, and other appropriate personnel as required. The team reviews all pertinent information about the Soldier to include rehabilitation/treatment plan that requires rehabilitation testing. It selects the appropri- ate rehabilitation methods and assists the commander in setting standards of behavior and goals for eval- uation of the Soldier’s progress in rehabilitation.

Re–integration unit risk inventory The R – URI is an anonymous questionnaire completed by Soldiers of a unit between 90 and 180 days af- ter returning from an operational (not training) deployment. The questionnaire is designed to identify the risky behaviors Soldiers are participating in after a deployment.

Relapse The resumption of a pattern of substance use in an individual seeking abstinence that was previously identified as problematic substance abuse.

Reservist not on active duty A reservist that participates on weekend battle assembly.

Sensitive position Any position within DA in which the occupant could cause, by virtue of the nature of the position, a materi- ally adverse effect on the national security.

Serious incident (of alcohol–related misconduct) Any offense of a civil or military nature that is punishable under the UCMJUCMJUniformed Code of Military Justice by death or confinement for a term exceeding 1 year.

Slip A temporary or isolated resumption of substance use in an individual seeking abstinence from that sub- stance.

Smart testing The process where drug testing is conducted in such a manner that it is not predictable to the tested pop- ulation.

Split specimen An additional specimen collected with the original specimen to be tested in the event the original speci- men tests positive.

Substance abuse professional A person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.

Substance use disorder Occurs when a person’s use of alcohol or another substance (drug) leads to health issues or problems at work, school, or home.

Testing designated position employee A DA employee who holds a position identified by the Army as having critical safety or security responsi- bilities related to the Army mission.

Unit risk inventory An anonymous questionnaire completed by all Soldiers of a unit at any time, and is designed to identify the risky behaviors Soldiers are participating in.

Voluntary/non–enrolled care Soldiers who have an alcohol use disorder and do not meet the criteria for mandatory care.