Will an addiction and brief stint over the border cost this applicant a job requiring a Secret clearance?
A ClearanceJobsBlog subscriber writes:
Greetings,
I just accepted a very good job offer with a defense contractor and it all is contingent on me obtaining a Secret security clearance. I have two items in my past that I’m worried will derail this: past drug use and current treatment, and past living outside the U.S.
First the big one, past drug use. I have never taken any illegal drugs, but I do have a history of being addicted to pain medication. I got it under control after self-checking myself with the VA in 2019 and getting treatment. Part of that treatment is being prescribed buprenorphine/suboxone. I continue to take this medication and submit frequent urine tests at every visit to show that I haven’t taken anything bad. I have seven years of clean urine screens, not even alcohol, but I continue to take this medication through the VA. My Dr. says I’m a model patient. Will just this derail my chances of getting a Secret clearance? I’m more worried about the embarrassment of this coming out.
The second item is I lived outside the U.S. for about 10 years. It was just across the border in Mexico, started out as 50% time, to minimize expenses while starting a business, but I left in 2020 at the height of Covid. My wife has dual citizenship, and while living in Mexico I had a local bank account and utilities in my name. Everything was closed out in 2020, and we moved to the east coast and have t been back even to visit. I’m just worried this will trigger a lengthy investigation. Also, while living in Mexico, my wife and I were able to get a special pass for crossing the border quicker. We both had our backgrounds checked, fingerprinted, and we “passed” and got these issued to us by CPB. Not sure if that “helps” but they are kind of hard to get and keep. We let those passes expire.
Now that I have accepted the job offer, everything is contingent on getting clearance. It’s a great opportunity, and an important role that I’d love to contribute to our nation’s defense but stressed over what’s coming. Does it seem I even have a chance?
Nothing this applicant described is an automatic disqualifier for a Secret security clearance, and in many ways the situation demonstrates exactly the kind of honesty and personal responsibility that the security clearance process is designed to recognize.
The issue of opioid addiction and ongoing treatment with Suboxone (buprenorphine) is something we’ve written about recently because it’s usage is more common than people think. While a history of substance misuse is something the government will evaluate, this story has some mitigating factors. The applicant voluntarily sought treatment through the VA, remained compliant with that treatment, maintained approximately seven years of documented sobriety with regular drug testing, and has a medication that is legally prescribed and closely monitored by a physician. From a security clearance perspective, investigators are generally much more concerned about current illegal drug use, undisclosed substance abuse, or behavior that suggests poor judgment. Successfully completing treatment and maintaining long-term recovery is viewed very differently than active addiction. In fact, voluntarily seeking help is often considered evidence of good judgment rather than a liability.
The embarrassment of this information becoming known is the bigger issue. Marko Hakamaa writes, “[this] would be concerning if you were not fully forthright on the clearance application, so be sure to provide all details so there is no appearance of trying to hide anything.”
The second concern—living in Mexico for roughly 10 years—is also something that will likely receive additional attention during the investigation, but it is not unusual or automatically disqualifying. Foreign residence, foreign financial accounts, and a spouse with dual citizenship are all issues that investigators routinely evaluate. In this case, returning to the United States in 2020, closing the Mexican bank account, ending residency, and no longer maintaining ongoing ties to the country are all mitigating.
Investigators will also want to understand the nature of any continuing foreign ties, foreign relatives, or foreign financial interests, but millions of Americans have family members with foreign citizenship. What matters is full disclosure and whether those relationships create any genuine security concerns.
One thing to be prepared for is that the investigation may take somewhat longer than average. A longer investigation should not be interpreted as a negative sign. Many applicants with foreign ties or extensive overseas residence simply require additional fact gathering before a final decision can be made.
The most important advice is to answer every question on the security clearance application completely and honestly. Report foreign residence, former foreign bank accounts, family members’ citizenship, and medical treatment exactly as requested. Security clearance adjudicators are generally much more forgiving of past issues that have been resolved than they are of omissions or attempts to hide information.
Much about the clearance process resembles the Pirate’s Code: “more what you’d call guidelines than actual rules.” For this reason, we maintain ClearanceJobsBlog.com – a forum where clearance seekers can ask the cleared community for advice on their specific security concerns. Ask CJ explores questions posed on the ClearanceJobs Blog forum, emails received, and comments from this site. This article is intended as general information only and should not be construed as legal advice. Consult an attorney regarding your specific situation.
