PSH-24-0128 - In the Matter of Personnel Security Hearing

On October 25, 2024, an Administrative Judge determined that an Individual should not be granted access authorization under 10 C.F.R. Part 710. The Individual submitted a Questionnaire for National Security Positions in which he disclosed having committed several alcohol -related offenses. The Individual subsequently disclosed in response to a letter of interrogatory that he had consumed alcohol to the point of intoxication multiple times weekly for several decades. The Individual met with a DOE-contracted psychologist (DOE Psychologist) who opined that the Individual habitually and binge consumed alcohol to the point of impaired judgment and met sufficient diagnostic criteria for diagnoses of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), Mild, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), predominantly inattentive presentation, under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision. The DOE Psychologist recommended that Individual receive treatment for his ADHD, participate in an intensive outpatient program for alcohol treatment followed by aftercare for one year, and abstain from alcohol consumption throughout treatment. At the hearing, the Individual brought forth evidence that he was receiving treatment for ADHD, had abstained from alcohol for six months, and was receiving counseling to address the root causes of his alcohol misuse. The DOE Psychologist opined that the Individual had not obtained sufficient treatment for his AUD and that he was at risk of relapsing. The Administrative Judge concluded that the Individual had resolved the security concerns under Guideline I, but not the security concerns under Guideline G . Therefore, the Administrative Judge determined that the Individual should not be granted access authorization. (OHA Case No. PSH-24-0128, Harmonick)