alcohol and other drug problems among addiction professionals

In the end, it is a contest between the employee’s right to privacy and theclient’s right to safe and competent services. When potential employers consider acounselor’s fitness for duty, how can they not ask these questions?Frequently in discussions of non-discrimination, participants returned to theimportance of establishing and communicating bona fide occupational qualifications(BFOQs) as a way of tying behavioral requirements to uniform standards for allemployees, rather than to individual employees’ recovery status. Participants identifieda few issues that BFOQs should address, including:◆ Behavior regarding alcohol and other drug use within the community◆ Relationships with clients and former clients, on the job and in the community◆ Training and credentialing (often an issue for clergy in faith-based treatment programs,who are not required to seek addiction-specific training or credentials)◆ Any skills that require special training and credentialing◆ Employees’ therapeutic issues◆ The effects of any medical conditions that interfere with effectivenessnSupervision and Corrective ProcessesMany employee issues tend to fall to the clinical and administrative supervisorsfor identification; assessment; corrective measures; and referral to higher levels in theorganization, or to Employee Assistance Programs. The supervisor plays an essentialrole in protecting both the rights of the employee and the safety of the client.Participants took care to point out the difference between supervision andtherapy-and the importance of maintaining that distinction. When employees haveproblems that are not addressed through more appropriate means, supervisors canbe drawn into counseling roles with the employees they supervise. Like any “dualrole” situation, this can present significant problems.One participant reminded the group of the wealth of resources on this topicavailable in TAP 21A: Competencies for Substance Abuse Treatment Clinical Supervisors,SAMHSA/CSAT’s new Treatment Assistance Publication.Organizational policies should have provisions for addressing the possibility ofrelapse among recovering staff through a comprehensive intervention process, ratherthan immediately terminating employees, as is so many organizations’ tendency.These protocols might follow the standard “Fitness for Duty” criteria described inother types of workplaces, in which an individual is assessed, evaluated, and treated,with the intent to restore that individual to productive working status. No arbitrarytime-frames should be established. Rather, these individuals should be addressedon a case-by-case basis.n 40 n