Nurse Reporter Spring 2009 - Wyoming State Board of Nursing

George Vandel, NCAC II, CAP
The Wyoming Professional Assistance
Program’s (WPAP) mission
is to provide resources and support
to Wyoming professionals suffering
from substance abuse disorders. It was formally
established in 1997 in a joint effort between the
Wyoming Medical Society and the Wyoming
Board of Medicine. In 1998, the Board of Nursing,
Board of Pharmacy, and the
Board of Dental Examiners joined.
In 2005, the Board of Veterinarian
Medicine signed an agreement and
in 2006 the Wyoming State Bar
and Judiciary signed agreements.
The mental health professions
licensing board signed an agreement
in 2007. Fifteen Wyoming
hospitals have signed agreements.
Although some hospitals in Wyoming
have not signed agreements
due to the cost of the service agreement,
their employees can still
take advantage of WPAP resources
and support. Agreement fees
are prorated based on the number
of employees in an institution. In
the case of an individual seeking
the services of WPAP, a monthly
fee is determined based on the
profession to which the person belongs.
For example, physicians pay
$185 a month, attorneys, dentists,
veterinarians $165, physician’s assistants
and pharmacists $90, RNs
$50 and LPNs and pharmacy technicians
and others $30 a month.
WPAP assists individuals,
hospitals and licensing boards
with intervention services and
education as well as helping with
writing policies and establishing
drug screening procedures. A professional
experiencing a substance
abuse disorder is provided access
to timely intervention, evaluation,
referral and support for treatment.
An important component of the
WPAP program is the Monitoring Agreement
that is agreed to and signed by professional when
entering the program. This agreement provides
an individualized treatment plan and structure
for the professional. Responsibilities and expectations
are clearly identified along with consequences
for failure to meet these requirements.
Guidance is provided before returning to professional
practice. Long-term monitoring and aftercare,
including relapse prevention and detection
are provided. The goal is to preserve health and
professional talents. The licensing board is not
notified that a professional is being monitored
unless the individual is not compliant with the
terms of the monitoring agreement.
Professionals in the program, whether referred
by their employer, family, friends or peers can continue
to work providing they have been through a
rehabilitation program and have been evaluated
The Wyoming
Professional
Assistance Program’s
(WPAP) mission is to
provide resources and
support to Wyoming
professionals suffering
from substance abuse
disorders.
for fitness to continue to work. Oversight for a
professional’s recovery is provided by the following:
a site monitor, random drug screening, attendance
and participation in Caduceus meetings
and daily contact with WPAP staff. There are
nine sites in Wyoming where Caduceus meetings
are held: Casper, Cheyenne, Sheridan, Gillette,
Rock Springs, Riverton, Evanston, Laramie and
Cody.
The concept of the Caduceus Group was initiated
as a component of the Georgia Impaired
Physicians Program in 1973. A group was formed
in Casper in 1983. The two most evident and
valuable results of the Caduceus Group have
been the number of impaired professionals who
been able to get into treatment by intervention
or self-realization, and the large number of professionals
for whom the Caduceus Group has
provided a bridge into Alcoholic Anonymous
and Narcotics Anonymous. Caduceus
Groups are educational and therapeutic
centers for recovering professionals.
A monitoring agreement can be
signed for a minimum of two years, but
most participants are in the program
for five years. If a professional decides
to leave Wyoming, WPAP staff must be
notified. Compliance with the monitoring
agreement is continued as the professional
continues to maintain daily contact
and random drug screening.
Before the existence of WPAP, professionals
with known substance abuse
disorders lost their license to practice.
This agency helps to identify, treat, and
rehabilitate professionals who have an
addiction. Professionals need help when
experiencing problems coping with patients/clients
or with the stress of practice
or if experiencing increasing financial,
legal problems, suits, divorce, etc.
Warning signs include depression, anger,
abusive behavior, drinking more than a
moderate amount of alcohol, personality
changes when drinking, self-prescribing
mood altering drugs, sexual or relationship
problems, placing work ahead of
personal and family needs to detriment
of either or becoming visibly overtired
or burned out. All professionals need to
know that addictive disorders know no
boundaries and that intelligence or accomplishments
do not protect them from
the disease. Professionals are as vulnerable
to the range of substance use and
mental health problems as other groups
of people. Because of denial, many professionals
do not reach out for help. As
more people know about WPAP, more referrals
can be made. As a professional, you are ethically
and morally obliged to pay attention to an impaired
colleague. Contact WPAP with questions
about how to help your colleague. Your call will
be handled confidentially and your identity will
be safeguarded.
George Vandel is the executive director of
WPAP. He can be reached at 307-472-1222 or
by emailing him at wpapro@wyonet.net.
18 Wy o m i n g Nu r s e Re p o r t e r