VE 4.04(1)(1) The board may enter into a contract with a nonprofit corporation or veterinary professional association to provide a veterinary professional assistance program, which may include any or all of the following:

VE 4.04(1)(a)(a) Contracting with assessment, testing, treatment, rehabilitation, monitoring, or support service providers, in accordance with the requirements in ss. VE 4.12 and 4.14. The program shall inform all service providers, and update changes in this information as soon as possible, of the employees in the program designated to receive required information from the service provider.

VE 4.04(1)(d)(d) Signing a confidential participation agreement with impaired veterinary professionals for making referrals to them to utilize services, from service providers contracted with under par. (a), outside the disciplinary process.

VE 4.04(1)(f)(f) Providing post-treatment monitoring and support to impaired veterinary professionals in the voluntary program and credential holders in the disciplinary program.

VE 4.04(1)(i)(i) Reporting all require information in the disciplinary program, so the board may carry out its disciplinary authority under ss. VE 1.60 and 2.28.

VE 4.04(2)(2) The board and the program, as part of the contract, shall agree to eligibility criteria for credential holders to be accepted into the disciplinary program, to fulfill the requirements in s. 89.03 (3), Stats.

VE 4.04(3)(3) The board and the program, as part of the contract, shall agree to eligibility criteria for impaired veterinary professionals to be accepted into the voluntary program, to fulfill the requirements in s. 89.03 (3), Stats. The program may not accept a credential holder to the voluntary program, if the board’s disciplinary process has an outstanding complaint against that credential holder.

VE 4.04(4)(4) Except for information produced for the board under sub. (1) (h) and (i), all information, interviews, records, reports, statements, memoranda, or other documents furnished to or produced by the program, are confidential.

VE 4.04 HistoryHistory: EmR1718: emerg. cr., eff. 11-22-17; CR 17-083: cr. Register July 2018 No. 751, eff. 8-1-18; correction in (1) (a), (i), (4) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register July 2018 No. 751; CR 21-062: am. (1) (a), (i) Register July 2022 No. 799, eff. 8-1-22; correction in (1) (i) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register July 2022 No. 799.

VE 4.06(1)(1) The board, or disciplinary counsel upon direction by the screening panel, may stipulate with a credential holder in the disciplinary process, to refer the credential holder to the disciplinary program as part of a settlement for uncontested unprofessional conduct on the part of the credential holder. The stipulation shall include language that a referral does not guarantee acceptance of the credential holder by the disciplinary program and the potential consequences if the credential holder is not accepted in the disciplinary program or does not complete the terms of acceptance. The stipulation, or a separate stipulation or order, may include other discipline to be completed by the credential holder, separate from the disciplinary program.

VE 4.06(2)(2) The program shall supply a referred credential holder an application for participation. As part of the application, the credential holder agrees that all relevant materials from the board’s disciplinary proceedings may be released to the program to make its determination as to the applicant’s eligibility.

VE 4.06(3)(3) The program shall determine the credential holder’s eligibility, based upon the criteria in the contract, by reviewing all relevant materials, including investigative results and the credential holder’s application for participation.

VE 4.06(4)(4) The program shall inform the credential holder and board if the holder is ineligible for acceptance. A credential holder determined to be ineligible for the disciplinary program may, within 10 days of notice of the determination, request the board to review the adverse determination.

VE 4.08(1)(1) A credential holder who participates in the disciplinary program shall do all of the following:

VE 4.08(1)(b)(b) Obtain a comprehensive assessment for alcohol, drug or other chemical, or mental health impairments from an approved service provider, including submitting to any required testing, and arrange for the service provider to file a copy of its assessment with the program. The program may agree to waive this requirement.

VE 4.08(1)(c)(c) Remain free of alcohol, if diagnosed as an impairment, or controlled substances and prescription drugs unless prescribed for a valid medical purpose.

VE 4.08(1)(d)(d) Timely enroll and participate in any approved service, as required by the assessment or agreed to by the credential holder and program, if the assessment is waived pursuant to par. (b).

VE 4.08(1)(e)(e) Comply with any treatment recommendations, work restrictions, or conditions deemed necessary by a testing, assessment, or treatment service provider.

VE 4.08(1)(f)(f) Submit any required random monitored physiological specimens to a service provider for the purpose of screening for alcohol or drug or other chemical substances.

VE 4.08(1)(g)(g) Execute releases, valid under state and federal law, to allow the program access to the credential holder’s counseling, treatment, and monitoring records.