Babyblue
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When are people going to understand. They do NOT test people in Florida for drugs for FOOD STAMPS. They only test them for drugs if they are applying for CASH ASSISTANCE.
Florida Department of Children and Families
Florida Department of Children and Families
Drug Testing Policy
Beginning July 1, 2011
Adults applying for Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) must agree to be drug tested and pass the drug test before they can receive cash benefits.
•The drug testing policy applies to parents who apply for their children, relatives applying for children they are taking care of if they are asking for help for themselves and teen parents not living with a parent, legal guardian or relative. Children under the age of 18 in the care of an adult will not be drug tested. If we need you to take a test, we will notify you by mail.
•Drug testing does not apply to the Food Assistance and Medicaid Programs
•If you do not want to be drug tested you may withdraw your TCA application at any time before taking the drug test.
•When you apply for TCA you will be asked to review and sign the Drug Testing Information Acknowledgement and Consent Release Form. If you apply using the on-line ACCESS Florida Application the release form is part of the TCA application. If you turn in a paper application you will be mailed a copy of the consent form for to sign and return. You must sign this form before ACCESS Florida work on your TCA application. This form will authorize the release of your drug test results by the laboratory to DCF for the purpose of determining your TCA eligibility.
•The drug test requires you to give a urine sample and may have up to three steps: an initial screening, a confirmation test if the initial screening shows drugs are present (test positive), and review of the results by a Medical Review Officer (MRO) if certain over-the-counter or prescription medications are detected.
•You must pay for the drug test(s) and medical review upfront. If you pass the drug test, your first month’s TCA benefit will be increased to cover the cost of drug test(s) and the medical review if one was done. The cost of drug testing differs depending upon where the test is taken and what you ask the lab to do. There is more information about the types of drug testing services you may purchase further on in this document.
•If you fail the initial drug screening you may want to have the lab double check the results (confirmation test) and have a formal medical review completed. These extra services help ensure the accuracy of the drug test results. The drug testing center may be able to tell you how to keep your costs lower if more than one test is needed.
•If you are taking prescription, over-the-counter medications, and/or herbal supplements they may affect the results of the drug test, you should consider paying for a “bundled” rate to ensure that the necessary testing and medical reviews are done to avoid a false “failed drug test”.
•You may accept the failed test results of the initial screening and choose not to purchase a confirmation test or medical review. A failed test result will be reported to the ACCESS Florida office and used to see if you can receive TCA benefits.
•If you fail the drug test, you can not receive TCA for one year from the date of a first failed drug test. Note: If you reapply six or more months after a failed test, you will need to provide proof that you have successfully completed a drug treatment program and pass then a new drug test you may be able to get TCA.
•You may be able to receive TCA after the one-year period if you take and pass a new drug test and are otherwise eligible. If you fail that test, you can not receive TCA for three years from the date of the failed drug test result.
•If you fail a drug test you may name a family member or other adult to receive the TCA for your children. This person must take and pass a drug test before they can receive the TCA for your children.
•Information on a failed drug test will be shared with the Florida Abuse Hotline for review to initiate an assessment or an offer of services.
General Information about the Drug Testing Process
The drug test will look for the following controlled substances:
1.Amphetamines
2.Methamphetamines
3.Cannabinoids (THC)
4.Cocaine
5.Phencyclidine (PCP)
6.Opiates
7.Barbiturates
8.Benzodiazepines
9.Methadone
10.Propoxyphene
•When you get to an approved drug testing collection site or laboratory, you will be asked to show a valid form of photo identification.
•You must pay the drug testing collection site and/or laboratory for the cost of the drug testing upfront. Some drug testing sites and labs will let you "bundle" costs of the drug test and medical reviews together, others charge for each service separately. ◦Under a bundled rate, you would pay a total cost of $28.50 to $40. This includes the cost of the initial drug screen, confirmatory test, and review by a MRO. Paying for these separately could cost you $57 to $161. The bundled rate may be best for someone taking prescription medication for pain, anxiety, or sleep disorders, and those that think they may fail the drug test and will need a doctor to review the results.
◦Single rate costs may be best for someone that does not take prescription medication and is not taking any of the drugs being tested for. The cost range for the single/initial drug test should run between $10 and $36.
◦You should save you receipt to turn into your ACCESS worker to prove you have taken the test.
•Your TCA worker can not tell you which drug testing collection site or laboratory you should use. A list of all the approved drug testing sites can be found online at Florida Department of Children and Families.
•Before you give your urine sample you will be asked to sign a consent/release form authorizing the drug testing site to take and test a sample of your urine and give the results to the local ACCESS Florida office.
•An agent of drug testing site will collect a sample of your urine. The initial drug test or screening will check to see if any of the above named drugs are present in your urine. The results of the initial drug screening will be completed onsite and available relatively quickly.
•If you pass the initial drug screening the drug testing collection site will report this directly to the referring ACCESS office.
•If your urine sample shows that you have any of the drugs listed above in your system you will be told about the results and given a choice to have a “confirmation test”. This test can eliminate the possibility of a false-positive. Your urine sample will be sent to an approved laboratory for confirmation testing. ◦If you chose not to have a confirmation test, the drug testing site will report a failed drug screening to the referring ACCESS office to be used for the determination of eligibility for TCA.
◦If you chose to have a confirmation test you will have to sign the Drug Testing Consent Form which will let the drug testing site order the confirmation test and the give the results to a Medical Review Officer (MRO) and to the referring ACCESS office.
•The MRO will interpret the results of the confirmation test to verify the presence of one of the drugs listed above. If the MRO determines that there is not a legitimate for reason for the presence one of these drugs they will report this as a “positive, confirmed test result” to the local referring ACCESS office.
•If there is a verified and legitimate reason for the presence of one of the drugs listed above such as a verified prescription, over-the-counter medication, recent medical procedure, etc they will report this as a “negative, confirmed test result” to the local referring ACCESS office. You may be asked for contact information for your prescribing doctor in order for the MRO to verify your prescription, medical procedure, etc. ◦The MRO will report the test results to the Department within 5 days of receipt of the confirmation test results from the laboratory.
Treatment Services
If you fail your drug test you will be given information on how to find a treatment program in your area. Information can be found at the following website Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator. The ACCESS Florida Program does not pay or reimburse for the cost of drug treatment programs.
Rich or poor. People get their drug of choice. 