alcohol and other drug problems among addiction professionals

◆◆field to interpret their work with clients as “12th-step work,” and to use that interpretationas a rationalization for neglecting self-care.)Policies in this area are often inconsistent from organization to organization,and often inconsistently followed within a single organization. Standards mayalso vary in different types of treatment settings (e.g., medication-free treatment,methadone programs, therapeutic communities, DUI programs).The question of whether or not employees are treated differently based ontheir recovery status is often followed immediately by the question of whetheror not, or in what ways, they should be treated differently. Does their higherlevel of vulnerability to these substances justify stronger vigilance on the partof supervisory staff?There was a fair amount of consensus that recovering staff are treated differentlyfrom non-recovering staff, although policies might dictate otherwise. Participantsaffirmed that recovering staff are often under higher levels of scrutiny and supervision.They may be passed over for promotions because of assumptions based ontheir recovery status. Changes in mood or problems in performance or behaviormay raise suspicion or be interpreted as relapse patterns, while the same changesor problems might be overlooked in non-recovering staff.Participants also said that problems and possible relapse signs tend to be overlookedmore often in high-value and long-term employees, regardless of recoverystatus. This can result in discriminatory treatment, with all the resulting damage toemployee trust, team cohesion, and effective teamwork.In considering and establishing standards in this area, it is essential to:◆◆◆◆Set clear and consistent standards and establish these as preconditions foremploymentFocus on whether or not the use of alcohol or other drugs causes impairmentin job performanceTake into account the impact on community perceptions of treatment and ofthe treatment organizationEnsure that the standards provide protocols for intervening effectively in theevent of relapse, rather than simply terminating employees who relapseThis exploration of the problem left participants eager to tackle the next phaseof discussion: ways of addressing these challenges. That is the subject of Chapter 3.n 25 n