Session Overview
Addiction recovery is a journey that demands holistic support, extending beyond clinical settings into the everyday environments where individuals live and work. Employment has long been considered a social determinant of health and a key element of recovery. In recent years, workplaces have increasingly been recognized as crucial spaces for promoting recovery and sustaining sobriety. By providing employment opportunities and financial stability, workplaces can help individuals in recovery stay drug-free longer and encourage them to hold regular jobs.
As individuals who provide care or support for persons in recovery, understanding and harnessing the potential of the workplace can significantly enhance our ability to support clients on their path to recovery. Internationally there has been a growing trend of workplaces moving from traditional drug and alcohol policies toward a more Recovery Informed Workplace philosophy. Across Canada we need to be better informed on this subject and also how to best collaborate with Recovery Informed Workplaces moving forward.
Learning Objectives
On completion of this session, participants will:
- Identify the key principles of recovery that are applicable and beneficial within a workplace context.
- Understand the impact of workplace culture on supporting or hindering employee recovery.
- Be aware of practical strategies and initiatives that can be implemented to promote a recovery-informed workplace.
- Feel more confidence in assisting workers in recovery who are seeking to return to their usual work or returning to the workforce generally
References
- Frone, M. R., Chosewood, L. C., Osborne, J. C., & Howard, J. J. (2022). Correction to workplace supported recovery from substance use disorders: Defining the construct, developing a model, and proposing an agenda for future research. Occupational Health Science, 6(4), 631–632. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41542-022-00136-
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Worker Training Program (National Institutes of Health (U.S.), 2023-08) https://tools.niehs.nih.gov/wetp/public/hasl_get_blob.cfm?ID=14183&file_name=WTP_RFW_Report_072423_508.pdf
- The Recovery-Ready Workplace Toolkit: Guidance and Resources for Private and Public Sector Employers. US Dept of Labour. https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/RRW-hub/pdfs/RRW_Toolkit_508_FINAL_v5%2011.8.23.pdf
- Recovery Friendly Workplace Institute https://rfwinstitute.org/recovery-friendly-workplaces/
