North Dakota Century Code Title 43. Occupations and Professions § 43-29-15.1. Mental health or substance use disorder--Self-reporting and self-referral

1. A veterinarian or veterinary technician may voluntarily self-report or self-refer to a treatment or monitoring program approved or contracted by the board to seek assistance for a potential or existing impairment due to a mental health or substance use disorder.

2. A veterinarian or veterinary technician who under this section voluntarily seeks assistance from a treatment or monitoring program in assessing or treating a potential or existing impairment will not be reported to the board solely on the basis of self-reporting or self-referral.

3. The identity of the veterinarian or veterinary technician and findings of the evaluation only may be reported to the board when:

4. Participation in the program does not protect a veterinarian or veterinary technician from disciplinary action resulting from a complaint.

5. A veterinarian or veterinary technician who self-reports or self-refers to the board for a potential or existing impairment may be referred by the board to a treatment or monitoring program in a manner prescribed by the board by rule, and subsequent reporting by the program to the board is at the discretion of and in the manner prescribed by the board.

6. A veterinarian or veterinary technician who has completed a treatment or monitoring program and is in full compliance with all parts of the treatment or monitoring plan and aftercare, may answer in the negative to a question on an application to the board for licensure or licensure renewal regarding current impairment by the condition for which the veterinarian or veterinary technician completed treatment. However, any recurrence of the impairment or the existence of other potential impairments that are not currently known to the program must be reported on the application.

7. Notwithstanding section 44-04-18, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, all records related to participation in a treatment or monitoring program established under this section containing identifying information about a veterinarian or veterinary technician are confidential and only may be disclosed when:

8. A person in attendance at any meeting of a treatment or monitoring program is not required to testify as to the content of any findings, committee discussions, or proceedings, unless requested by the board for a disciplinary proceeding or regarding noncompliance with the program.