RI Health Professional Reported Negative Toxicology Results to Drug Court -- That Were Positive

RI Health Professional Reported Negative Toxicology Results to Drug Court -- That Were Positive

A “chemical dependency professional” in Rhode Island has had her license suspended after reporting “negative” toxicology reports for a client to Family Treatment Drug Court — that were later determined to have been positive. 

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) issued a consent order on October 20, charging Amanda Whitney with “violations of the Chemical Dependency Professionals Practice Ace and the Chemical Dependency Professional Rules.”

 

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About Investigation 

According to RIDOH, the findings of fact were “that on or about October 13, 2021, Respondent reported toxicology results to the Family Treatment Drug Court indicating negative results on 09/08/21, 09/16/21, 9/20/21 for a client — and then “on or about January 10, 2022 respondent reported toxicology results to the Family Drug Court indicating negative results on 12/01/21, 12/09/21, 12/23/21, 12/30/21, 01/06/22 for a client."

The issue, according to RIDOH — the results were not actually negative.

“Respondent's supervisor conducted a chart review and provided Precision Diagnostic Cumulative results data indicating positive test results for 09/08/21, 09/16/21, 09/30/21, 12/01/21, 12/09/21, 12/23/21, 01/06/22 for client,” wrote RIDOH.

“The conduct described…constitutes unprofessional conduct [pursuant to Rhode Island General Law],” wrote RIDOH. 

Whitney faces a three-month suspension starting from when the consent order was signed — and has to complete at least six hours of ethics training and six hours of clinical documentation training before applying for reinstatement of her license.

Whitney signed the consent decree on October 10 and RIDOH's Bruce Todesco signed the agreement on October 20.

Should her license be reinstated, Whitney is then subject to a nine-month probation period, during which monthly meetings with a clinical peer supervisor are required.