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Substance Abuse

It is estimated that 1 in 5 Canadians will be affected by addiction sometime in their life, and that on any given week, 500,000 employed Canadians are unable to work because of it. The Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse estimates that over $24 billion dollars per year is lost in productivity because of substance abuse alone.

 

Working Around a Sensitive Issue

While abuse of substances such as alcohol, illicit drugs or prescription medications is not new, there is increasing awareness of how the workplace is affected.

Job performance may be jeopardized in ways such as increased absences, lower productivity, frequent errors, decreased quality of work, or resentment towards the employee or employer. Safety may be compromised for employees while increasing liability for the employer.

 

How Employers Can Help

Employers can be key players in affecting positive change, often beginning with a Substance-Free Workplace Policy. A commitment to employee wellness programs, supervisor training and employee education programs assist in creating an informed and supportive workplace. Supporting employees throughout their treatment plan, whether outpatient or inpatient, is usually less expensive than replacing the employee. With proper treatment and support, the employee can return to work and be more productive than before, while demonstrating that the employer is compassionate and cares about the health and safety of their employees.

 

How CBML Can Help

Shifting the employee from a place of ambivalence to one of action occurs when expectations and boundaries are set by the employer. Our Substance Abuse Services, listed below, are designed to help employers set those boundaries and put employees back onto a productive, healthier path.

Learn more about our Absence Management services below.

Substance Abuse Assessments

Assessments that Balance the Needs of Employer & Employee

Our goal in the Assessment Process is to match the employee to the most cost effective and suitable substance abuse treatment program.

As we are not affiliated with a specific treatment program, we are able to refer to a wide variety of programs across Canada, taking into account the level of intensity required and financial resources available. Our Assessment Services include:

  • Initial Assessment – a full clinical assessment including interview and review of other relevant clinical notes and testing.
  • Treatment Planning – carefully developed treatment plans to address both the short term and long term recovery goals, timely referrals and follow up to ensure that the employee connects with treatment providers.
  • Ongoing Case Management – supportive counselling and monitoring of established goals to maintain open communication between employee and employer, and reduce lost work time.
  • Psychological Assessment – at times, a full psychological assessment may be required to determine a substance abuse disorder.