Summary
A 57-year-old sheet-metal worker was denied a security clearance under Guideline G (Alcohol Consumption) due to a history of alcohol-related incidents. The Statement of Reasons detailed multiple arrests, including DUIs in January 2006 and other unspecified dates, as well as charges for drunk in public and reckless driving. Additionally, the applicant was sent home from work in April 2007 for having alcohol on his breath.
The applicant had engaged in various treatment efforts, including self-referral for counseling in the 1970s, alcohol treatment from November to December 2001, and a 26-week substance abuse rehabilitation program. Further alcohol treatment and counseling were received in 2007.
Despite these mitigating factors, the clearance was denied. The decision cited the applicant's multiple alcohol-related incidents, insufficient evidence of sustained abstinence or rehabilitation following his last treatment, and a perceived minimization of his alcohol dependency and its severity.
Why the applicant was denied
- The applicant had multiple alcohol-related incidents, including three DUIs and being sent home from work due to alcohol on his breath.
- The applicant did not provide sufficient evidence of a sustained pattern of abstinence or rehabilitation after his last alcohol treatment program.
- The applicant minimized his alcohol dependency and did not fully acknowledge the severity of his alcohol issues.
Conditions referenced
- AG ¶ 22(a)appliedAlcohol-related Incidents Away From Work
- AG ¶ 22(b)appliedAlcohol-related Incidents at Work
- AG ¶ 22(f)appliedRelapse After Diagnosis of Alcohol Abuse or Dependence
- AG ¶ 23(a)rejectedTime Passed or Infrequent Behavior Unlikely to RecurThe applicant had five documented alcohol-related incidents between 2001 and 2007.
- AG ¶ 23(b)rejectedAcknowledgment of Alcoholism and Actions TakenThe applicant did not fully acknowledge being alcohol dependent.
- AG ¶ 23(c)rejectedParticipation in Counseling or Treatment ProgramThe applicant did not demonstrate a clear and established pattern of modified consumption or abstinence.
- AG ¶ 23(d)rejectedSuccessful Completion of Counseling or RehabilitationThe applicant did not receive a favorable prognosis from a qualified professional.
Key rule quoted
“The applicant is responsible for presenting witnesses and other evidence to rebut, explain, extenuate, or mitigate facts admitted by applicant or proven by Department Counsel.”
Procedural posture
- SOR issuedMay 7, 2008
- Answer filedJun 13, 2008
- Hearing heldSep 17, 2008
- Decision dateSep 30, 2008
Cite for
- Denial of Clearance Due to Multiple Alcohol-related Incidents Under Guideline G
- Failure to Demonstrate a Sustained Pattern of Abstinence From Alcohol
- Insufficient Acknowledgment of Alcohol Dependency and Its Implications for Security Clearance