Denied by DCSA for FAA safety position (currently work here)

SECURITY CLEARANCE Q&A
1

I work for the FAA and applied for a safety position which requires a background check and low-level clearance. Prior to them submitting my package to DCSA for review/approval the security clerk at my agency level disapproved it. When I asked why, she replied that my history of alcoholism and a couple current financial items in collections were responsible. She has been very vague with her reasoning and sent me the appeals process which I submitted my package for three weeks ago.

I was able to get six character reference letters from peers, therapist, substance abuse treatment center owners/counselors and co-workers stating my sustained sobriety and work in the recovery community over the past three years. I also provided proof of restitution to creditors as a couple items stemmed from my divorce a few years ago. I had my TS/SCI clearance revoked while in the Navy back in 2010 due to drinking alcohol a year after I was discharged from inpatient treatment so I understand the reasoning, but I have also proven that I can stay clean while performing at work and maintaining a presence in my local Veteran and recovery community. I along with others stated my consistent work with non-profits and men who struggle with substance abuse. All three of my inpatient stints were on my own and not at the suggestion of anyone else or a legal entity.

Bonus question: Does it help that one of my reference letters was written by someone who is currently in the running for a senior role in the DCSA adjudication branch? He is a retired Army CWO4 and has strong ties in the intel community. We are on the same board for our non-profit so we work together often. Hopefully that will carry some weight. I have wanted this job in safety since I left active duty back in 2011 and while I have had a couple hiccups here and there, I have never had an adverse evaluation or been disciplined for the previously mentioned issues. Now that they are offering it to me and the review was unfavorable, I am losing hope pretty fast. I am honored that they would even consider me, but I know that I am the right person for the job and hope that the powers that be can come to that conclusion as well.

I guess I play the waiting game now and hope for the best.

2

I can only speak to IC when I say, it is right next to impossible to get a new clearance after you’ve had one revoked. Not sure about FAA. Maybe the safety position ups the ante?

3

Thanks. Yeah the BG check was not even mentioned in the Solicitation of Interest so I found it odd that I was preemptively selected, causing the BG check to be initiated. I was honest about everything to include the revocation (which they would see anyways). I admitted that I relapsed, but have zero legal issues related to said relapses. All of my recovery stays were under my own volition and my clearance was revoked back in 2010 over 15 years ago, which I would think provides a bit more time to show “contrition through action” via my well-known work in the veteran, homeless and disabled athletes communities. Thanks again for the info.

4

I forgot to mention that the security clerk pointed out my answering “yes” to Impacted Performance in section 22 - Use of Alcohol. In my appeal letter I admitted to answering this question incorrectly as I understood it to mean that my alcohol use and treatment admissions caused me to miss work by taking sick leave and FMLA, but never to get an adverse review or anything from my Supervisor. I was in a rush to complete my answers as I was busy at work and then out-of-conus for two weeks the following day. My haste might have burned me. I emailed my letter with enclosures directly to the DCSA Mead inbox so hopefully it got to the right channel.