6510-D - Voluntary non-disciplinary surrender of a license.

§  6510-d.  Voluntary  non-disciplinary  surrender  of  a  license.  A  professional who is licensed pursuant to article one hundred thirty-nine  of this title may voluntarily surrender a license to  the  committee  on  drug  and  alcohol  abuse  when  such  licensee requests to be monitored  and/or receive peer support services in relation to the use,  misuse  or  addiction   to   drugs.   The  committee  shall  accept  such  voluntary  non-disciplinary surrender  of  a  license  and  provide  for  expedited  reinstatement  of  the license if the licensee meets criteria set by the  committee. Such criteria will include, but not be limited to, confidence  that the licensee's use of drugs and/or alcohol has not resulted in harm  to a patient or client and the licensee is not incapacitated, unfit  for  practice  or  a  threat to the health, safety and welfare of the public.  Such voluntary surrender, if accepted by the committee, shall result  in  an  immediate  reinstatement  of  the license and shall provide immunity  from a violation of subdivision three or four of  section  six  thousand  five  hundred  nine of this article and cannot be deemed an admission or  used as evidence in professional misconduct. Acceptance by the committee  shall not require a report  to  the  department  of  health  or  to  any  employer or licensing authority of another jurisdiction, nor require any  disclosure  to  patients  or  to  the  public that such license has been  temporarily surrendered, except if it is subsequently determined by  the  department that a participant being monitored by the department is found  to  have  used  drugs  and/or  alcohol  which  has resulted in harm to a  patient or client.