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ISCR Case 22-00765 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 22-00765

A decided public DOHA case, shown for research — not advice or a prediction.

Case Profile
Decision Date8/31/2023
Statusgranted
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Carol G. Ricciardello
Government Counsel: Jeffrey T. Kent
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 42-year-old individual who had worked for a federal contractor since 2006 and held a security clearance during that time. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guideline G (alcohol consumption), Guideline H (drug involvement and substance misuse), Guideline I (psychological conditions), and initially Guideline F (financial considerations), which was later withdrawn. The core allegations included a history of alcohol misuse, substance abuse, and untreated mental health issues.
The applicant admitted to several allegations regarding her alcohol consumption and mental health struggles but denied others related to involuntary substance use. She provided a detailed account of her history with alcohol, including periods of heavy drinking and subsequent hospitalizations due to alcohol-related incidents. The applicant acknowledged her mental health issues, including a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder and Alcohol Use Disorder, and described her efforts to seek treatment, including participation in Alcoholics Anonymous and ongoing medication management.
The administrative judge ruled in favor of the applicant, concluding that she had successfully mitigated the concerns under the relevant guidelines. The judge noted the applicant's proactive steps toward recovery, including her engagement in treatment programs, compliance with medication, and the establishment of a supportive environment at home. The judge found that the applicant's actions demonstrated a commitment to addressing her issues and that she posed no current risk to national security, thus granting her eligibility for access to classified information.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline GAlcohol Consumption · For Applicant
- Guideline HDrug Involvement & Substance Misuse · For Applicant
- Guideline IPsychological Conditions · For Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 22-00765

grantedAug 31, 2023· Hon. Carol G. Ricciardello· hearing

Summary

A 42-year-old federal contractor was granted eligibility for access to classified information despite initial security concerns under Guidelines G (Alcohol Consumption), H (Drug Involvement), and I (Psychological Conditions). These concerns stemmed from a history of alcohol abuse and mental health issues.

The administrative judge determined that the applicant had successfully mitigated the disqualifying conditions related to alcohol consumption, drug involvement, and psychological conditions. Key factors in this decision included the applicant's sustained sobriety since April 2020, demonstrating a strong commitment to abstaining from alcohol.

Furthermore, the applicant showed compliance with her mental health treatment and medication management. The presence of a robust support system from her family and community also contributed significantly to the judge's finding that the security risks were mitigated, leading to the favorable outcome.

Why the Applicant Prevailed

The applicant has abstained from alcohol since April 2020 and has demonstrated a commitment to sobriety.
She is compliant with her mental health treatment and medication management.
The applicant has a robust support system from family and community.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 21raisedAlcohol Consumption
AG ¶ 24raisedDrug Involvement and Substance Misuse
AG ¶ 28raisedPsychological Conditions

Mitigating

AG ¶ 23appliedAlcohol Consumption
AG ¶ 26appliedDrug Involvement and Substance Misuse
AG ¶ 29appliedPsychological Conditions

Key Rule Quoted

“The protection of the national security is the paramount consideration.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedJul 7, 2022
Answer filedJul 23, 2022
Hearing heldAug 15, 2023via Microsoft Teams
Decision dateAug 31, 2023

Cite For

Mitigation of Alcohol Consumption Issues Under Guideline G
Mitigation of Drug Involvement Concerns Under Guideline H
Mitigation of Psychological Conditions Under Guideline I

Editorial summary generated for research. Not legal advice; not a prediction. Verify against the full decision before relying on any quoted language.

Standardized Decision Profile

SEAD-4 Guideline G (Alcohol Consumption) · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: HearingDecided: grantedTREATMENT COMPLETED · FAVORABLE

The judge found that the applicant mitigated the Guideline G alcohol consumption security concerns. The applicant admitted to the allegations and demonstrated a commitment to sobriety, having abstained from alcohol since April 2020, which contributed to the favorable decision.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Incident	Response	Disqualifying (¶22)	Mitigating applied (¶23)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant mitigated the Guideline G, alcohol consumption security concerns.	For Applicant	Unspecified Alcohol Incident	Admitted	—	—	—
1.b–1.c	2 sub-charges — specific text not stated in this decision (for the applicant).	For Applicant			—	—	—

Descriptive standardized rendering of a decided public case (Guideline G). The verbatim source decision is shown in full below.

Standardized Decision Profile

SEAD-4 Guideline H (Drug Involvement) · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: HearingDecided: granted

The judge found that the applicant mitigated the Guideline H concerns regarding drug involvement and substance misuse. The applicant demonstrated significant rehabilitation efforts and abstinence from alcohol since April 2020, leading to a favorable decision regarding her security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
3.a	Applicant mitigated the Guideline H, drug involvement and substance misuse security concerns.	For Applicant	Unspecified Drug Involvement	Unspecified	Admitted	—	(a) behavior happened long ago / infrequent / unlikely to recur	Credited Abstinence Period Documented Credited Rehabilitation Evidence

Descriptive standardized rendering of a decided public case (Guideline H). The verbatim source decision is shown in full below.

Standardized Decision Profile

SEAD-4 Guideline I (Psychological Conditions) · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: HearingDecided: granted

The judge found that the Applicant mitigated the psychological conditions security concerns under Guideline I. The Applicant demonstrated a commitment to managing her mental health and abstaining from alcohol, which contributed to a favorable ruling.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶28)	Mitigating applied (¶29)	Mitigation
2.a	Applicant mitigated the Guideline I, psychological conditions security concerns.	For Applicant	Unspecified Psychological Condition	Unknown	—	—	—
2.b–2.c	2 sub-charges — specific text not stated in this decision (for the applicant).	For Applicant			—	—	—

Descriptive standardized rendering of a decided public case (Guideline I). The verbatim source decision is shown in full below.

Full decision

The complete, official text — footnotes and signatures included — is in the original PDF.