Substance Abuse

In September 2004, the Oregon Board of Dentistry instituted a Confidential Voluntary Diversion Monitoring Program for licensees experiencing problems with abuse of drugs and alcohol. The Board designed the program to support licensees in recovery and at the same time establish guidelines to protect the public. 

 

In Summer 2009, the Oregon legislature enacted laws establishing the Health Professionals' Services Program (HPSP), a consolidated monitoring program for all healthcare providers, under the Department of Human Services. By the same law, HPSP replaced the confidential diversion programs, like that of the Board of Dentistry.

 

The HPSP monitors health care providers with the goal being rehabilitation. HPSP has four participating health Boards: The Oregon Board of Dentistry, the Oregon State Board of Nursing, The Oregon Board of Pharmacy, and the Oregon Medical Board (The Boards).

 

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has administered the program since it was established.  In 2016, House Bill 4016 authorized the Boards to establish or contract for program services. The Boards and OHA have been working collaboratively to issue a new contract for program operations. To that end, the Boards established a Work Group to produce a Request for Proposals (RFP).  The Work Group meetings were held monthly at the Oregon Medical Board and were open to the public.

 

The RFP resulted in the selection of a vendor for the HPSP program operations. Reliant Behavioral Health (RBH) has been awarded the contract to operate HPSP, effective July 1, 2017. RBH has held the HPSP contract for the past seven years and will continue to do so with diligence. The Boards, OHA and RBH are committed to ensuring program participants experience a smooth transition during the change in administration. Licensees enrolled in the Program will continue to receive services without interruption.

 

For Board licensees with a diagnosis of substance use disorder or mental health disorders, HPSP provides a voluntary, non-disciplinary option to get treatment, establish a recovery program and be eligible to practice. The identities of licensees enrolled in HPSP and in good standing with that program, will remain confidential to the Board and not a matter of public record.

Contact the Board's Diversion Coordinator by telephone.

The Diversion Coordinator is the only person authorized to work with Candidates for and Licensees in HPSP, and to know their identities. They can be reached at (971) 673-3200 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. 

Licensees enter HPSP voluntarily, agree to the requirements established by law, and adhere to their HPSP Agreement. Licensees must provide the Diversion Coordinator with a full disclosure of the history of substance abuse, periods of treatment, efforts in recovery and relapse history, and to have a diagnosis of substance use disorder, to qualify for HPSP. 

The Board recognizes that addiction is primarily a biological disease, chronic, progressive, often fatal, and characterized by relapse. Participation in HPSP is non-disciplinary and not reportable to the National Practitioners’ Data Bank, or any other entity. 

The Diversion Coordinator opens a case and conducts an investigation that includes interviews with the Licensee-Candidate, a determination whether the Licensee Candidate presents a danger to the public and consultation with treatment providers. Following a diagnosis and treatment recommendations, the Diversion Coordinator completes an investigative report in which the Licensee-Candidate is identified only as "Licensee." The Licensee-Candidate reviews a draft of the report and confers with the Diversion Coordinator. 

The Chief Investigator, the Executive Director, the Board’s Chief Evaluator, and the Senior Assistant Attorney General review the report and approve it. These reviewers do not learn the identity of the candidate.  The Diversion Coordinator presents the case to the Board for a decision to close with no further action if the licensee is enrolled in HPSP.