Licensee Lisa Marie Sanchez asks board to reduce testing frequency, drop dependency program; matter submitted

Lisa Marie Sanchez, a licensed clinical social worker, asked the California Board of Behavioral Sciences on Feb. 27 to reduce the frequency of biological-fluid testing required under probation and to remove a separate dependency-support program requirement, saying she has completed required education and psychotherapy and that ongoing testing and program costs and scheduling are burdensome.

Deputy Attorney General Anahita Crawford summarized Sanchez’s license and discipline history for the board: Sanchez was convicted for driving under the influence in February 2020; the conviction led to criminal probation and, following mitigation, a stipulated settlement that placed her on administrative probation with counseling, substance-education and testing conditions. Crawford told the board Sanchez’s license is active and that the board’s records show compliance with the terms of probation to date.

Sanchez testified she completed court-ordered and board-required programs, including a three‑month DUI program and nine-day alternative work program, paid fines and probation fees, and completed substance‑related counseling. She told the board she has taken random oral testing and said she has not failed a test since the initial event; she described daily routines she uses to meet testing obligations and told the board the principal reason she was seeking modification was financial hardship from testing costs and time away from work.

Board members questioned Sanchez about the December 2021 positive test and the surrounding circumstances; Sanchez said that episode followed an isolated binge-drinking night with a longtime friend and that it led to a renewed, deeper focus on her recovery. She described therapy and recovery work she has done, including cognitive behavioral therapy, grief and loss work, and mindfulness training, and said she now views sobriety as a life‑long change rather than a temporary adjustment.

Sanchez told the board she has been in individual substance‑abuse counseling and an education program, that she had completed required drug-testing, and that she remains engaged in therapy and recovery supports. She said the dependency program she attends provides one‑on‑one counseling but that travel time to the program’s location and scheduling conflicts with her employment make the requirement difficult to sustain in its present form; she asked the board to accept that continuing psychotherapy with her licensed therapist would adequately address the treatment goals of the dependency program.

Judge Corin Wong closed the record after testimony. No decision was made in open session; the judge said the board would deliberate in closed session and mail a written decision to Sanchez. The matter was submitted for decision.

Why it matters: the petition seeks a change to the board’s oversight mechanisms for a clinician on probation, seeking less frequent testing and a change in required treatment settings — requests that would alter monitoring and demonstrated remediation for a licensee found to have had a serious alcohol-related conviction.

Next steps: board deliberation in closed session and a written decision to be issued by mail; the Feb. 27 public session recorded testimony but did not include a board vote.