MCO 5300.17A - Marine Corps Substance Abuse Program

Scope

MCO 5300.17A sets policy and procedural guidance for the Marine Corps Substance Abuse Program (SAP). The program covers Active Duty Marines, Reserve Component Marines serving on Active Duty, and Sailors attached to Marine Corps units. SAP runs on six elements. Prevention, deterrence, identification, early intervention, counseling services, and aftercare. The order applies to active and reserve components. Unit and installation commanders implement the program at their level. Headquarters Marine Corps Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Marine and Family Programs (DC M&RA (MF)), owns the program. Marines seek assistance for substance-related problems without stigma or reprisal.

Audience

• Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (DC M&RA). Issues policy, designates the SAP Program Manager, coordinates with the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, reviews the order annually.
• DC M&RA, Marine and Family Programs Division (MF). Sets SACC procedural requirements, runs the Credentialing Review Board (CRB), approves training, owns the electronic case management system.
• Commanding General, Marine Corps Installations Command (MCICOM). Resources installation SAP delivery for tenant commands and Operating Forces.
• Commanding General, Training and Education Command (TECOM). Delivers substance misuse prevention training to officer candidates and recruits through Marine Awareness and Prevention Integrated Training (MAPIT) at https://thegearlocker.org.
• Installation commanders. Stand up and resource the installation SACC. Coordinate with MTF, MFLC, chaplains, OSCAR, Health Promotion, Embedded Preventive Behavioral Health Capability (EPBHC).
• Unit commanders. Run unit-level prevention and deterrence. Appoint the SACO and the ASPC. Refer Marines for assessment. Maintain awareness of Marines receiving SUD services. Approve the random urinalysis schedule each month.
• Substance Abuse Control Officers (SACOs). Officer or SNCO appointed in writing. Oversee urinalysis and ASP testing. Handle Protected Health Information. Coordinate aftercare with the SACC.
• Urinalysis Program Coordinators (UPCs). Assist the SACO. Conduct sample collection and chain of custody.
• Alcohol Screening Program Coordinators (ASPCs). Officer or SNCO appointed in writing. Run breathalyzer testing under Appendix D.
• SACC Directors. Tier III counselors. Oversee SACC operations.
• SACC counselors. Tiered counselors meeting DC M&RA (MF) CRB credentialing. Conduct assessments, counseling, care coordination, aftercare.
• Licensed Independent Providers (LIPs) at the SACC. Identify SUD using DSM-5 criteria. Refer complex, moderate, or severe SUD cases to the Military Treatment Facility (MTF).
• Drug Demand Reduction Coordinators (DDRCs). Train SACOs, UPCs, observers. Coordinate the Medical Review Process. Record positive prescription drug test determinations in IFTDTL.
• Medical Officers (MO). Determine whether positive prescription test results reflect legitimate or non-legitimate use.

Enclosure and chapter map

• Enclosure (1). Marine Corps Substance Abuse Program Policy. The substantive policy carried into chapters.
• Chapter 1. Prevention. Marine leader role, MAPIT delivery, unit-level prevention education.
• Chapter 2. Deterrence. Urinalysis program and the Alcohol Screening Program (ASP).
• Chapter 3. Identification, early intervention, and referral. Triggers for SACC referral. NAVMC referral form. NAVMC Supervisor Input form.
• Chapter 4. Counseling services. Assessment, Individualized Service Plan (ISP), aftercare. Gambling disorder assessment and counseling.
• Chapter 5. Aftercare coordination with the unit SACO.
• Appendix A. Visual summary of unit and installation roles.
• Appendix B. Urinalysis program details.
• Appendix C. Acronyms, key terms, and the Alcohol Related Incident definition.
• Appendix D. Alcohol Screening Program (ASP) details.

Mandatory referrals to the SACC

The unit commander refers a Marine to the SACC within 24 hours when any of the following triggers occurs. Use NAVMC referral form.

• Urinalysis identifies the Marine as having misused drugs.
• ASP identifies a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or greater. Marines arrive at the SACC for assessment only after blood alcohol returns to 0.00.
• Marine involved in an incident where alcohol use is a contributing factor. The threshold for referral is broader than the Alcohol Related Incident definition in Appendix C. Err on the side of referral when the role of alcohol is unclear.
• Marine in possession of a controlled substance or drug paraphernalia.
• Marine self-discloses substance misuse.
• Commander deems it appropriate.

Unit commander appointments and program rules

1. Appoint the SACO in writing. Officer or SNCO. Senior uniformed leader with command access, awareness of unit substance misuse trends, demonstrated maturity and trustworthiness.
2. Appoint the UPC in writing. Multiple UPCs allowed depending on testing volume.
3. Appoint the ASPC in writing. The ASPC and UPC are allowed as the same person.
4. Forward every appointment letter to the installation SACC. Training is barred until the SACC receives the letters.
5. Confirm the SACO completes SACO training at the supporting SACC within 30 days of appointment.
6. Confirm UPCs complete UPC training at the SACC before conducting urinalysis testing.
7. Apply Smart Testing. Unpredictable schedules. Tests not on the same calendar day each month. Multiple test days per week and month. Time limits per testing event. Tests decoupled from liberty briefs.
8. Test Marines who PCS in or return from leave over five days within 48 hours.
9. Include SACO, UPC, and observers in the monthly urinalysis test.
10. Record each completed urinalysis in the Marine Corps Total Force System (MCTFS).
11. Submit monthly breathalyzer results to the SACC within seven days of month end.
12. Refer Marines with positive ASP results of 0.08 or greater to the MTF for a fit-for-duty determination before the SACC referral.

SACC delivery model

• SACCs are sufficiently funded, staffed, and equipped by the installation commander.
• SACC staff deliver prevention education, SUD assessment, counseling, transfer and discharge planning, care coordination, and aftercare per DC M&RA (MF) procedural requirements at https://thegearlocker.org.
• SACC counselors work within a DC M&RA (MF) Position Description and CRB credential tier. Services match licensure, experience, and tier.
• SACC counselors assess every referred Marine for gambling disorder and deliver gambling counseling as appropriate.
• SACC counselors keep commanders apprised of progress. Reference (b) governs commander action on Marines unable to benefit from counseling.
• SACCs use the DC M&RA (MF) approved electronic case management system.
• Installation Standard Operating Procedures address prevention education and planning, the Medical Review Process, referrals, assessments, Individualized Service Plans, care coordination, aftercare, clinical supervision, confidentiality, SAP metrics, critical incident response, and program evaluation.
• LIPs at the SACC identify SUD using DSM-5 criteria. Complex, moderate, or severe SUD cases route to the MTF.
• Marines not located on an installation route to the nearest MTF for SUD assessment.
• Reserve Component Marines not on Active Duty route to the Psychological Health Outreach Program.

Change history

• Base order. 2018-06-25. Signed by James F. Glynn, Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.
• Administrative Change 1. 2023-02-23. Signed by James F. Glynn, Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. M&RA (MFCP-1). Drove from DODIG-2019-091 Evaluation of the DoD Management of Opioid Use Disorder for Military Health System Benefits, dated 2019-06-10. Removed diagnostic language from the SACC scope. Specific paragraph changes. Page 2 paragraph 4.a.(1)(d) replaced diagnose and diagnosed with identify and identified. Enclosure (1) page 1-3 Chapter 1 paragraph 4.e. replaced diagnosed with identified. Enclosure (1) page 2-1 Chapter 2 paragraph 1 removed diagnostic and replaced whose diagnosis is with identified as. Enclosure (1) page 2-2 Chapter 2 paragraph 4.c.(1) removed diagnostic. Enclosure (1) page 2-2 Chapter 2 paragraph 4.c.(2) replaced diagnostic impression and diagnosis with narrative. Enclosure (1) page 2-3 Chapter 2 paragraphs 4.d.(1), 4.d.(2), and 4.d.(3) removed diagnostic. Enclosure (1) page 2-5 Chapter 2 paragraph 8 replaced diagnosed with identified. Enclosure (1) page 2-6 Chapter 2 paragraph 9.a. removed diagnosis and prognosis. Enclosure (1) page 2-6 Chapter 2 paragraph 10.c.(2) removed make a SUD diagnosis.
• Administrative Change 2. 2025-05-21. Replaced the word Gender with the word Sex in Chapter 1 paragraph j and Appendix B paragraph e to align with Executive Order 14168 and OPM initial guidance dated 2025-01-29. Signed by A. N. Sullivan, Director, Administration and Resource Management Division, by direction.

Forms and systems

• NAVMC referral form. Documents the Marine's referral for SUD assessment.
• NAVMC Supervisor Input form. Provides command context for the assessment.
• Marine Corps Total Force System (MCTFS). System of record for completed urinalysis tests per Marine.
• Internet Forensic Toxicology Drug Testing Laboratory Portal (IFTDTL). Records the Medical Officer determination on prescription drug test results.
• DC M&RA (MF) electronic case management system. Documents SACC services across the SAP continuum.
• DSM-5. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition. SUD identification criteria used by LIPs.
• MAPIT. Marine Awareness and Prevention Integrated Training at https://thegearlocker.org.

Connection to higher policy

• DoD Instruction 1010.04. Problematic Substance Use by DoD Personnel, dated 2014-02-20.
• DoD Instruction 1010.01. Military Personnel Drug Abuse Testing Program (MPDATP), dated 2012-09-13.
• DoD Instruction 1010.16. Technical Procedures for the MPDATP, dated 2012-10-10.
• SECNAVINST 5300.28E. Military Substance Abuse Prevention and Control.
• SECNAVINST 1754.7A. Suicide Prevention. Reference (g) of the base order.
• SECNAV M-5210.2. DON Records Management Manual reference. Reference (m) of the base order.
• SECNAVINST 5211.5E. DON Privacy Program. The current revision is SECNAVINST 5211.5F of 2019-05-20. Reference (j) of the base order.
• 10 U.S.C. Chapter 47. Uniform Code of Military Justice. Reference (l) of the base order.
• American Psychiatric Association, DSM 5th Edition, 2013. Reference (e) of the base order. Identification standard for SUD.
• MOU between BUMED, MF, and HS dated 2013-11-05. Reference (f) of the base order.
• DODIG-2019-091. Evaluation of the DoD Management of Opioid Use Disorder for Military Health System Benefits, dated 2019-06-10. Drove Admin Change 1.
• Executive Order 14168. Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism, 2025-01-20. Drove Admin Change 2.
• OPM Memorandum dated 2025-01-29. Initial guidance under Executive Order 14168.

Connection to Marine Corps doctrine and lower policy

• MCO 1752.5B. Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Program. Reference (i) of the base order. Cross-references for incidents involving substance misuse and sexual assault. Replaced in later use by MCO 1752.5C.
• MCO 1754.11. Marine Corps Suicide Prevention Program. Reference (h) of the base order.
• MCO 1700.22G. Alcoholic Beverage Control. Reference (k) of the base order. Drives the Alcoholic Beverage Control information cited in paragraph b.(7)(c) of the base order.
• MCO 1500.60A. Force Preservation Council (FPC). FPC reviews SAP-flagged Marines.
• MCO 5210.11F. Marine Corps Records Management Program. Governs SACC case record retention.
• IGMC FAC 5300.17 Substance Assessment and Counseling Program. Inspection program drawing evidence directly from this order.
• Marine and Family Programs SAP procedural requirements at https://thegearlocker.org.

Audience by surface

• Marine. Knows the referral triggers, what to expect at the SACC, the seek-help-without-stigma promise.
• Leader (NCO and SNCO). Runs the urinalysis program at the unit. Trains observers. Recognizes the referral triggers and routes Marines to the SACC.
• Commander. Appoints the SACO and ASPC. Approves the random urinalysis schedule each month. Maintains awareness of Marines in SACC services. Signs disciplinary or administrative separation action under reference (b) when a Marine is unable to benefit.
• Admin (S-1, 0102, 0111). Routes appointment letters to the SACC. Files referral forms. Maintains the unit SAP records under records management policy.

Status

Active. Base order signed 2018-06-25 by James F. Glynn, Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. Sponsor is DC M&RA, Marine and Family Programs Division, Combat and Operational Stress Control Branch (MFCP-1). Distribution Statement A, public release. Applicability is Marine Corps active and reserve components. Admin Change 1 (2023-02-23) and Admin Change 2 (2025-05-21) folded in. Verify against the current procedural requirements at https://thegearlocker.org for the controlling SACC delivery instructions.