SF-85 for Volunteer position w/ past drug use

Hey guys I just recently submitted an SF-85 questionaire form for a volunteer position with the USDA-NRCS. I have no past issues with regards to criminal history or anything else but I regrettably tried marijuana 3 times starting in January and ended in early March, I truly regret ever trying the drug and have absolutely no intention of trying drugs again I have made it clear on my form that I do not need to feel ok and I would like to go back to being a law-abiding citizen, and I have made it clear to those around me that use it to stop using it around me and I have been drug free since early March. I have seen tons of mixed opinions/advice on the web regarding and I have even talked to one of my volunteer supervisors about the issue and she said that her husband has passed with several DUIs and considering my position and frequency of use they might be lenient. I of course plan on being completely transparent when my adjucator contacts me and I plan on signing a letter of intent not to do drugs again and I am even giving him a reference to a person who has offered me drugs which I accepted for verification which I have told not to offer me drugs. What else can I do to prove that I will never do drugs to the adjucator I know that passage of time is a big mitigation factor when it comes to this and that’s not on my side.

sorry but not enough time to mitigate.

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Is it too late for me to back out of the offer after submitting the form?

You can always back out of the offer for the position and presumably they will stop the investigation when your sponsor indicates that you are will no longer need the clearance.

This will prevent you from being denied a clearance, which can have significant negative effects on trying to obtain one later. However, they might keep the SF-85p on file, meaning that an investigator may be able to see it later. This shouldn’t be a problem, since I don’t think you would apply for another clearance until you have sufficient time to mitigate your drug usage.

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I would just call up the company and tell them your no longer interested in the position.

Hey guys first off thanks for the advice, I ended up backing out of the position and separating as a volunteer from the USDA-NRCS three weeks ago and I’ve been looking up on trying to figure out what will happen to the investigation. I know it is probably in “loss of adjucation” but I haven’t received any email on this status. With that in mind will the OPM/agency contact me on that? And what is typically the protocol for loss of adjucation do the keep the file on hold and reopen it if I apply for another position later on?

The investigation should have ended. You can always tell an investigator (if called later on) that you are no longer seeking that position and decline to be interviewed.

The SF85 remains on file. Once you signed the document (electronically through eQIP) it became US Government property.

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Thank you @backgdinvestigator @Marko will my case be adjucated or because I have lost my sponsorship from separation will the OPM be unable to adjucate it? And would I get a letter in the mail similar to a acceptance/denial letter?

You will not be contacted by any investigators for a low risk non-sensitive position. OPM does not adjudicate the investigation, they send it to the requesting agency (in this case-USDA) for adjudication once it is completed. If you are no longer working for that agency they will not adjudicate it and simply mark it that you left employment prior to adjudication.

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Thank you @Marko I have read on here that if I was to reapply for a position that there will be significant hurtles for me to jump through considering my case as far as mitigation goes and the investigative process. I plan on trying to work for the USDA again next year and let time pass for me to mitigate my drug use. I read that a year minimum would is enough but I recently turned 24 and I read on a post here that the minimum for mitigation is two years for people over 24 but I’m not sure if that’s general federal policy. Would it be better to wait the full two years before reapplying or is it a bit excessive?

Based on your use 6 months is long enough for a low risk position with no clearance.

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Marko,

I have a client that works for treasury and is in the process of a re investigation. She just completed her interview with the BI and he sent in her paperwork to OPM yesterday.

she just accepted a new position at the VA and her start date is June 24th. What happens with her current re investigation for her former position at treasury?

More than likely the investigation gets finished/closed out since it is so far along but obviously Treasury won’t adjudicate it since she no longer works there. If the VA wants to use the investigation for her position with them they can request a copy of it and adjudicate themselves.

Does anybody know if I or my references will receive something in the mail about my case not being adjucated? It’s about to be a month since I separated from the agency and was just wondering if I’ll hear anything back.

Why would you or your references be notified?

I’m not really sure it was just something I was unsure of since there’s not really a lot of info on these forums on loss of adjucation scenarios and I was wondering if the process was similar to cases that have been denied where they send letters out.

Your references would never be notified about you. The loss of jurisdiction notification to you I don’t know about.

Hey guys sorry to ask but it has been two months from today since I submitted my e-qip (SF-85) and it’s about to be 5 weeks since I separated as a volunteer from the USDA. Would my investigation already be closed by now and should I/employers/references get some sort of notification about my case being unable to be adjucated by now or is it still too early to expect some sort of notification if there is one I’m just a bit stressed about it.