Here’s a
great question:
“If you have bipolar and have a hospitalization do you think that would be an automatic dis-qualifier?”
“If you have bipolar and have a hospitalization do you think that would be an automatic dis-qualifier?”
The quick answer is NO.
Everything in your background is looked at and qualified first. Many individuals have different conditions and
circumstances requiring them to take medication or be hospitalized who have and
maintain their security clearances without incident..
A newly diagnosed or per-existing condition is not an
automatic disqualification.
So being bi-polar or hospitalized are not automatic disqualifiers.
While not everyone is granted a security clearance, over the last 27 years working with 5,000+ background investigations I saw 100% of all individuals with per-existing and newly diagnosed conditions receive, or be reinstated for their security clearance.
Your responsibility is to answer each question honestly:
List all per-existing and new conditions
Who is, or has treating you
What medication you’re on, or were on (including proscribed dosage/s)
And all good contact telephone numbers and business addresses of individuals and facilities who treated you
The adjudicator assigned to your case is required to qualify every block of information on each line on your entire submitted SF-86.
Regarding your medical history, the adjudicator will submit a request for your assigned case investigator to verify you were a patient, when you were seen, what medications you were on, or are currently taking, and would this medical professional recommend you for a security clearance.
Only individuals who do not submit this information were either denied a security clearance, or their case was submitted for further review.
The take-away lesson:
Answer every question as honest as possible, submit your paperwork, and let the process happen.
Information and Tips you can work with:
There are tens of thousands of background investigations already in the system ahead of you. Some individuals require a polygraph examination, many do not.
Background investigation for Secret clearances take 1-6 months to complete. Background Investigations for Top Secret Clearances and above, take 6-18 months to complete.
Be patient, and every 90 days, contact your security representative for a status update, and what else you need to provide.
NEVER contact your adjudicator unless instructed to do so. When I was an adjudicator at the FBI, every adjudicator carried a 400-600 background investigation caseload. Everyone I worked with processed them as quickly as possible.
I hope this answers this question, and provides insight into the background investigation process.
Here’s to everything working out for you; or something better,
Joseph Zarek, AFI, CDE, HE, HT, SA
Award Winning Author, Professional Speaker, Security Clearance Guru
So being bi-polar or hospitalized are not automatic disqualifiers.
While not everyone is granted a security clearance, over the last 27 years working with 5,000+ background investigations I saw 100% of all individuals with per-existing and newly diagnosed conditions receive, or be reinstated for their security clearance.
Your responsibility is to answer each question honestly:
List all per-existing and new conditions
Who is, or has treating you
What medication you’re on, or were on (including proscribed dosage/s)
And all good contact telephone numbers and business addresses of individuals and facilities who treated you
The adjudicator assigned to your case is required to qualify every block of information on each line on your entire submitted SF-86.
Regarding your medical history, the adjudicator will submit a request for your assigned case investigator to verify you were a patient, when you were seen, what medications you were on, or are currently taking, and would this medical professional recommend you for a security clearance.
Only individuals who do not submit this information were either denied a security clearance, or their case was submitted for further review.
The take-away lesson:
Answer every question as honest as possible, submit your paperwork, and let the process happen.
Information and Tips you can work with:
There are tens of thousands of background investigations already in the system ahead of you. Some individuals require a polygraph examination, many do not.
Background investigation for Secret clearances take 1-6 months to complete. Background Investigations for Top Secret Clearances and above, take 6-18 months to complete.
Be patient, and every 90 days, contact your security representative for a status update, and what else you need to provide.
NEVER contact your adjudicator unless instructed to do so. When I was an adjudicator at the FBI, every adjudicator carried a 400-600 background investigation caseload. Everyone I worked with processed them as quickly as possible.
I hope this answers this question, and provides insight into the background investigation process.
Here’s to everything working out for you; or something better,
Joseph Zarek, AFI, CDE, HE, HT, SA
Award Winning Author, Professional Speaker, Security Clearance Guru
