Completed VA HPMP

Published

Finished VA HPMP...ask me anything

On 12/13/2021 at 8:19 PM, catcalling said:

Finished VA HPMP...ask me anything

Once you started the program, how long was it before you could return to practicing nursing?

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Specializes in Therapy.


Has anyone ever  received a positive urine for ETG followed by a negative PETH test 7 days later and stillbe punished for the positive urine because they say a negative blood test doesn't override the positive in the VAPHMP . And the outcome to keep my license and to continue working is to go to a 3-5 day inpatient assessment that insurance doesn't pay for and can cost any where to$3,000-$10,000 dollars out of pocket that takes me away from my family and other job. I'm sorry but the VAHPMP program doesn't want us to succeed after making a mistake. I have been in the program since Jan 2022 and had never had a positive went to a different pickup location and the faculty there was rude and judgmental and just so happened it came back positive followed by a negative PETH and 2 more negative urine screens.  Im sorry but this is so wrong and I asked for alternatives and the case manager and supervisor said there were no alternatives to their decision. I have been tormented in this program since day one just so that I can get my career back and I just don't understand why they don't help us succeed.

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PTAVA said:


Has anyone ever  received a positive urine for ETG followed by a negative PETH test 7 days later and stillbe punished for the positive urine because they say a negative blood test doesn't override the positive in the VAPHMP . And the outcome to keep my license and to continue working is to go to a 3-5 day inpatient assessment that insurance doesn't pay for and can cost any where to$3,000-$10,000 dollars out of pocket that takes me away from my family and other job. I'm sorry but the VAHPMP program doesn't want us to succeed after making a mistake. I have been in the program since Jan 2022 and had never had a positive went to a different pickup location and the faculty there was rude and judgmental and just so happened it came back positive followed by a negative PETH and 2 more negative urine screens.  Im sorry but this is so wrong and I asked for alternatives and the case manager and supervisor said there were no alternatives to their decision. I have been tormented in this program since day one just so that I can get my career back and I just don't understand why they don't help us succeed.

I have never had a positive screen, but I know from other people in the program that what they say goes. You can get a lawyer and try to fight them, but that will just leave you out of more money, added stress, and more lost time from work. I did a 4 day assessment at Farley Center in Williamsburg, I believe it was $3K at the time, would recommend. They ended up recommending 6 weeks of inpatient treatment for me, I wasn't being honest with them or myself at the time and they are good at their jobs. With a relapse they might not recommend inpatient. However, they will be looking through everything in your life, you need to have a sponsor and be working a 12 step program, if you aren't/haven't been, they will find out and most likely recommend more treatment. HPMP wants you sober and working the steps, if you aren't, it can catch up to you. Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck! 

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Do they offer suboxone? I began treatment at an outpatient facility before I knew about HPMP... also how long before they allowed you to begin working in healthcare again? 

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Specializes in Case manager.

I did not have to take Suboxone. From what I've heard from the other nurses and medical personnel that I've talk to I believe they really push Suboxone. And I know that it has to be witnessed with you taking it. As far as getting back to work, HPMP, after 3 to 4 months, gave me permission to start looking. They had the ultimate say so over my ability to take a job or not. And they will talk to your new boss when you take a job and discuss with them what your role is and what's involved with doing it. HPMP denied me twice for taking a job-once before because I was working from home, and no one was going to be there to watch me. The second was because it involve my visiting patients in their home to do an assessment for a half an hour to an hour and leaving to come back home to document. That is when I had enough. The Virginia board of nursing had already closed my case a few months before this because they couldn't find that I did anything wrong which is what I kept telling them all along.  So finally, when HPMP  stopped me from taking the second job, I got a lawyer and wrote a letter to the head of the Board Of Nursing, and to my lawyer, explaining everything and I was finally cleared and got my full license back. No issues whatsoever. Nothing at all on my license. Thank God because I really needed a job! Job! 

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VA-RN75793 said:

Do they offer suboxone? I began treatment at an outpatient facility before I knew about HPMP... also how long before they allowed you to begin working in healthcare again? 

From what I am aware, you will not be able to return to practice until you are completely off of Suboxone for a certain period of time. Once you are done with treatment you can usually return to work after 3 months, however, if you are taking Suboxone, your time will not start until you are off of the drug. As most people will agree "Suboxone isn't sober".  Comment above seems to be confusing naltrexone and Suboxone. 

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RueTrue said:

From what I am aware, you will not be able to return to practice until you are completely off of Suboxone for a certain period of time. Once you are done with treatment you can usually return to work after 3 months, however, if you are taking Suboxone, your time will not start until you are off of the drug. As most people will agree "Suboxone isn't sober".  Comment above seems to be confusing naltrexone and Suboxone. 

Thank you for your response!

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Specializes in Therapy.
RueTrue said:

I have never had a positive screen, but I know from other people in the program that what they say goes. You can get a lawyer and try to fight them, but that will just leave you out of more money, added stress, and more lost time from work. I did a 4 day assessment at Farley Center in Williamsburg, I believe it was $3K at the time, would recommend. They ended up recommending 6 weeks of inpatient treatment for me, I wasn't being honest with them or myself at the time and they are good at their jobs. With a relapse they might not recommend inpatient. However, they will be looking through everything in your life, you need to have a sponsor and be working a 12 step program, if you aren't/haven't been, they will find out and most likely recommend more treatment. HPMP wants you sober and working the steps, if you aren't, it can catch up to you. Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck! 

Just FYI it wasn't a relapse went to Farley Center did my 3 day $3700 evaluation and came home without any recommendations from Farley Center. My evaluation concluded that I had no substance abuse issues, that I am exhausted, overwhelmed, grieving, concerned about my health and that I don't know how to say no when others need help. I am still jumping thru their hoops to get my career back. I'm in the program due to my poor choice of a relationship that resulted in drug charges due to conspiracy (FYI I was at the wrong place at the wrong time). I've had no issue with any substance but however due to my poor choice I have been labeled an addict because of my charges. I wasn't hiding anything and I was telling VAHPMP the truth.

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Can anyone here respond if they have some time please? I am new to HPMP for diversion and would really love someone to talk to, a lot of these posts seem like they are a few years old. Would greatly appreciate it mostly to get some info!

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My friend is in Virginia HPMP also, I'll try to get more information.  But they seem to already have a good bit of info on their website, unlike mine!  I'm in the dark for everything.

like this handbook for toxicology testing.  If a test is positive, there are things that happen immediately!  So basically, there is no going back?

https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/media/dhpweb/docs/hpmp/OrientationHandbook.pdf

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@meg55  I completed the program in May of 23 and I have 5.5 years of sobriety as well. Let me know if you have any questions or need info.

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My friend and coworker was just notified she has been dismissed from hpmp because she was late getting her monthly reporting forms one to many times.  Can they really dismiss you over a form?  No positive tests, bad reports from therapist, psych, work etc.  How is is possible that hpmp can destroy a career with no other recourse, over late reporting form?

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