Opinion ID: 160478
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Tulsa's Drug and Alcohol Program and its Relationship with CommunityCare

Text: 4 The city of Tulsa maintains a policy designed to prevent drug and alcohol abuse by its employees. Pursuant to this policy, Tulsa requires employees in safety-related or otherwise sensitive jobs to submit to random drug and alcohol testing. Typically, employees who test positive are given the opportunity to retain their jobs by (1) passing a return to work test demonstrating they are free of drugs and alcohol; (2) submitting to additional periodic testing; and (3) successfully completing substance abuse treatment as provided through an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offered by Tulsa to help its employees cope with a variety of personal problems. 5 In August 1992, Tulsa entered into a contract with CommunityCare 2 whereby CommunityCare was to act as an independent contractor providing substance abuse counseling and other services to Tulsa employees referred to it pursuant to Tulsa's EAP. The record shows that CommunityCare identified independent third-party health care providers to supply these services, and then referred Tulsa's employees to those providers for actual treatment. In most cases, CommunityCare recommended an intensive treatment program usually lasting for a period of several weeks, with periodic follow-up treatment for one year. Neither the contract itself nor the EAP program purported to modify Tulsa's existing disciplinary policies or to transfer any authority to discipline employees from Tulsa to CommunityCare. 3 CommunityCare has entered into numerous similar agreements with other public and private entities which it performs in substantially the same manner. CommunityCare's agreement with Tulsa remained in effect throughout the time of the events at issue in this lawsuit. 6