Content
See permissions for copyright questions and/or permission requests. An area that is often troublesome for supervisors is what to do when an employee is apparently under the influence or intoxicated at work. Agencies have a fair Selecting the Most Suitable Sober House for Addiction Recovery amount of latitude about what to do in these situations. The following is a list of steps you should take in dealing with such a situation. Though not all steps would be appropriate in all situations, most would be applicable.
- After the initial treatment program, the employee may be in follow-up counseling and treatment for an extended period of time, possibly up to a year.
- This connection can help fill the void that drugs and alcohol leave in a substance abuser.
- Your best chance of recovery is by getting combined mental health and addiction treatment from the same treatment provider or team.
It works by causing a severe adverse reaction when someone taking the medication consumes alcohol. Most people who take it will vomit after a drink of alcohol. This, in turn, is thought to create a deterrent to drinking.
What Are My Alcoholism Therapy Options?
Treatment doesn’t have to be limited to doctors and psychologists. Many clergy members, social workers, and counselors also offer addiction treatment services. There’s no magic bullet or single treatment that works for everyone. Everyone’s needs are different, so it’s important that you find a program that feels right to you. Any alcohol addiction treatment program should be customized to your unique problems and situation.
Researchers have found that taking it for longer than 3 months is the most effective treatment. Don’t take extra pills, don’t skip pills, and don’t stop taking the pills until you talk to your doctor. It’s a disease of brain function and requires medical and psychological treatments to control it. Below is a list of providers and the type of care they may offer. Many people struggle with controlling their drinking at some time in their lives. More than 14 million adults ages 18 and older have alcohol use disorder (AUD), and 1 in 10 children live in a home with a parent who has a drinking problem.
Naltrexone for Alcoholism
In addition, there are several stages of the disease which are often described as early, middle, and late. While it is not essential for a supervisor to fully define these stages, it is useful to understand them in terms of how the disease presents itself in the workplace. After the employee’s return to duty, there will be some type of follow-up care such as a 12-Step program or other group meetings, therapy, EAP sessions, or any combination of the foregoing (please see the Appendix ). These sessions should cause only minimal disruption to the work schedule. The EAP counselor can explain the importance of the follow-up program to the employee’s continued sobriety. Intervention is effective, this can be a very powerful tool to counter denial and may help the employee consider treatment.
Generally, agencies do not have the authority to conduct mandatory alcohol testing. Although some agencies may have the equipment and trained personnel to administer an alcohol test, such a test would be voluntary. Most alcohol testing would probably be conducted with an evidentiary breath testing device (EBT), commonly referred to as a breathalyzer. While there are other methods of testing for alcohol, including blood or saliva tests, an EBT is the predominant method because it is less invasive and is already in use by law enforcement personnel.
Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse
Some people are able to stop drinking on their own or with the help of a 12-step program or other support group (see below for links). Others need medical supervision in order to withdraw from alcohol safely and comfortably. Which option is best for you depends on how much you’ve been drinking, how long you’ve had a problem, the stability of your living situation, and other health issues you may have. Under federal law 42.CFR 8.12, patients receiving treatment in Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) must be able to receive counseling, along with medical, vocational, educational, and other assessment and treatment services.
