Nurses who are facing drug or alcohol abuse-related discipline in Kansas, or who feel that they have a substance abuse problem that they need help with, can enroll in the Kansas Nurse Assistance Program (KNAP). KNAP offers a comprehensive monitoring and treatment program for nurses that can result in disciplinary procedures against an enrolled nurse being suspended while the nurse is participating in KNAP and dismissed when the nurse successfully completes their KNAP treatment. While it can be an effective way to address substance abuse issues, KNAP is not for everybody. If you've been referred to KNAP or are considering enrolling, the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team can help you evaluate your options and decide whether KNAP is best for you. Contact us at 888.535.3686 or use our contact form to arrange a confidential consultation to learn more about what our experienced license defense attorneys can do for you.
What is KNAP?
KNAP is a program administered by a third-party treatment provider approved by the Kansas Board of Nursing (BON). KNAP offers enrolled nurses long-term monitoring and treatment for substance abuse issues. It uses a multi-faceted approach that can include random drug and alcohol testing; required participation in regular group meetings, including monthly monitoring groups and frequent 12-step-type groups; one-on-one counseling or therapy sessions; and coordination with the nurse's employer in cases where the nurse's work will need to be monitored or restricted.
When you enroll in KNAP, any BON disciplinary investigations or proceedings that relate to alleged alcohol or drug-related practice issues will be suspended while you are participating in the program. If you successfully complete the program according to the requirements of your particular assessment, you will avoid facing any disciplinary consequences for those issues. On the other hand, if you exit KNAP prematurely – whether by choice or because you have been removed from the program as a result of repeated failures to follow its requirements – KNAP will notify the BON, and the paused disciplinary proceedings may resume.
It's important to make an informed choice about whether to enroll in KNAP. The Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team can help you review exactly what will be expected of you if you do enroll in KNAP and can also help you understand what your alternatives may be based on your particular situation. You may decide that another approach – such as enrolling in another treatment program, contesting the misconduct allegations, or both – is the course that may work better for you.
Enrolling in KNAP
A nurse may contact KNAP directly or may be referred by an employer, family member, friend, or the BON. As part of the enrollment process, KNAP will conduct an evaluation of the nurse “geared to assess potential problems that may impair their ability to practice safely.” That evaluation will be used to develop a treatment plan for the nurse that the nurse will be expected to agree to and follow in order to successfully complete the program.
If you apply to KNAP, you'll be charged an initial fee by the program. Thereafter, you'll be responsible for the costs of your random drug tests and any costs associated with group meetings, counseling, medical or psychological treatment, and other aspects of your treatment plan.
Participating in the KNAP Program
Most KNAP treatment plans will include a number of requirements, all designed to help the nurse understand and address their substance abuse issues and learn to overcome them. These may include:
- Random drug tests. You can expect to be tested at least once per month, generally from 12-15 times per year. If your results are abnormal or appear to be diluted, you may be required to test again.
- Weekday check-ins. You'll be required to check in with the designated testing provider each weekday, either by phone or online, to learn whether you have been selected for a drug test that day.
- Monthly Monitoring Group meetings. Typically, your KNAP treatment plan will require you to attend a monthly monitoring group meeting held in fewer than ten cities across the state. Depending on the terms of your KNAP agreement and your location, this may require you to travel some distance in order to attend.
- Counseling or therapy. Your treatment plan may require you to participate in one-on-one counseling or other types of mental health or substance abuse therapy.
- 12-Step attendance. You may be required to regularly attend 12-Step meetings and, depending on the program, have a sponsor. To confirm attendance, KNAP may require you to submit a monthly signed attendance sheet.
- Employment restrictions. You may be required to stop working until KNAP allows you to resume work; when you are working while enrolled in KNAP, your employer will be informed and will be required to submit quarterly reports to KNAP about your work performance.
The Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team can help you evaluate the treatment plan that KNAP proposes before you agree to it so you can consider the commitments you will be making if you enroll. We can also help you explore alternatives to KNAP so that you can make a choice of what kind of program is likely to be best for you.
Employment While Participating in KNAP
As noted, your employer is likely to be notified that you've enrolled in KNAP and will be expected to submit reports to KNAP on your performance at least once each quarter. Your KNAP treatment plan may also place restrictions on your employment, such as the number of hours each week you can work, what shifts you can be assigned to, and whether you are able to access and dispense prescription medication. Depending on your situation, you may also be required to stop working when you enroll in KNAP and may have to show a certain amount of progress before KNAP approves your return to work. Because each treatment plan is different, it's important to carefully review the proposed plan you receive from KNAP before you enroll so that you know exactly what it is you're agreeing to.
Travel While Participating in KNAP
Because of the weekday check-in and random drug testing requirement, travel outside of Kansas can be a challenge. You may be required to notify KNAP staff in advance of a planned trip and arrange to either check in or be available for testing while you are away. If you'll be traveling to a location that doesn't have a nearby approved drug testing center, you may be required to take an enhanced test upon your return home or may have to make some other arrangement with KNAP. It's important to reach out to your KNAP contact well before your planned travel so that you don't risk violating your treatment agreement.
Medical Waivers
If you will be undergoing medical treatment that could result in you being prescribed any kind of medicine, including, of course, painkillers, you need to have your physician contact KNAP staff in advance. KNAP will need to be informed of all prescribed medication, and depending on what you will be taking, your treatment agreement may be affected.
Prescription Waivers
KNAP must be notified about all of your prescriptions. In some cases, KNAP staff may need to contact your physician or dentist to discuss one or more of your prescribed medications and explore whether there are alternatives available that would be a better fit for your treatment agreement. It's important that no matter what prescription you're given, you notify KNAP about it immediately.
Exiting the KNAP Program
Your KNAP agreement will identify an anticipated end date for your participation in the program. That said, you won't necessarily be discharged from the program on that date. You first must officially request to be released from KNAP. Generally, you will have to show that you've substantially complied with the terms of your treatment agreement, and you may need to submit supporting information from counselors, sponsors, and employers.
If you leave KNAP before your treatment agreement date, stop participating at any point before you are officially discharged, or are required to leave because of repeated non-compliance, KNAP will notify the BON, and any suspended disciplinary matters may be resumed.
If you are considering leaving KNAP before you've been officially discharged, contact the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team for help. We can advise you, based on your particular set of circumstances, what the consequences may be if you leave, and we can help you discuss your situation with KNAP staff in the event you have particular issues that are affecting your ability to meet your treatment agreement obligations.
Challenges of the KNAP Program
As with any substance abuse treatment program, there are challenges you will face if you enroll in KNAP. These can include:
- You'll be responsible for the cost of your drug tests and any costs associated with your one-on-one therapy and group meetings. This can easily run into the thousands of dollars over the course of your treatment agreement.
- If you are required to stop working as a nurse for any period of time during your KNAP enrollment, or have your work hours limited by your treatment agreement, you will face an additional financial burden on top of the costs of participating.
- Because it's more work for an employer to hire and supervise a nurse who is enrolled in KNAP, you may find it more difficult to find and keep a job.
- Traveling to and from monthly support meetings, weekly 12-step meetings, counseling sessions, and drug tests can absorb a lot of your time. If you live far from any of Kansas's larger cities, the time you spend on the road may be substantial.
- Traveling outside of Kansas while enrolled in KNAP can be challenging and requires advance planning. You may not be able to take all of the trips you'd like to while you're in KNAP.
Because a major benefit of enrolling in KNAP is that any disciplinary issues related to your enrollment will be dismissed if you successfully complete the program, you need to carefully consider the terms of your proposed treatment agreement before you sign it. There are challenges to every substance abuse treatment program, but in the case of KNAP, there is also the possibility of facing disciplinary proceedings if you fail to complete your treatment. The Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team can help you if you have questions about KNAP's proposed treatment agreement or about any other aspect of your treatment, as well as about any BON disciplinary issues that may arise.
Reasons to Enroll in KNAP
KNAP provides nurses with a comprehensive, detailed monitoring and substance abuse treatment program that can be effective and may be what is right for you. The added benefit of suspending and possibly eliminating any disciplinary action pending the successful completion of your treatment is an added benefit that other treatment programs do not offer.
Alternatives to KNAP
There are, of course, alternatives to KNAP. Kansas offers many different substance abuse counseling and treatment programs, any number of which may work for you. While they will not offer the additional automatic benefit of suspending disciplinary proceedings during treatment, in some cases, the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team may be able to negotiate a similar suspension with BON staff.
Contacting the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team before you enroll in KNAP can help you consider alternatives to KNAP before you make your decision. Even if you decide to enroll in KNAP, you will have done so after evaluating more than one program. Making a choice to enroll – versus feeling as though KNAP is your only option – may strengthen your commitment to whatever alternative you select.
How the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team Can Help
The Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team has helped nurses all over the US with misconduct allegations and disciplinary proceedings. Our experienced professional license defense attorneys understand the rules, regulations, and procedures that apply in nurse disciplinary cases in Kansas, and can help you if you've been accused of misconduct that may be a consequence of a substance abuse issue.
We can help you at any stage in the disciplinary or treatment process. If you're being investigated for alleged misconduct, our attorneys will represent you in your meetings with the BON investigator and will make sure that the questions you're asked are fair and understandable. We can negotiate with the BON to explore alternatives to the proposed discipline – alternatives such as KNAP or another treatment program – where possible. If your case proceeds to a hearing, we will vigorously defend your rights and fight for your license and your reputation. In situations where you're enrolled in KNAP and have issues with the program that you would like to resolve, we can discuss your concerns with KNAP personnel and assist you in resolving them.
If you're a nurse who's been accused of substance abuse or other misconduct, don't wait – call the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team today at 888.535.3686 or use our contact form to set up a confidential consultation with one of our experienced license defense attorneys. Your nursing license is your livelihood; let us help you protect it.
