Workplace Supported Recovery
Substance use disorders represent a pressing issue for employers and workers around the world. According to data from the U.S. 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 70% of all adults with an alcohol or illicit drug use disorder are employed. Nearly 9% of all employed adults (approximately 13.6 million workers) have current alcohol or illicit drug use disorders, while a relatively equal number (approximately 13.4 million workers) report that they are in recovery or have recovered from a substance use problem.
Workplaces are a critical point of contact for people struggling with or recovering from a substance use disorder. Ideally, workplaces will provide individual, family, and community support and improve the well-being of workers. Workplaces should create work environments that proactively prevent substance misuse, reduce stigma, and encourage treatment and sustained recovery.
In a Workplace Supported Recovery (WSR) Program, employers use evidence-based policies and programs to reduce multiple risk factors. These include helping to prevent initial substance use to decreasing the risk for substance misuse and its progression to a substance use disorder. WSR programs also take steps to help workers seek the care they need and provide assistance in recovery, to include staying at work or returning to work.
This website, by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Preventions' National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), discusses the broad perspective of the NIOSH Total Worker Health® Program, which advocates for protection from work-related hazards and risks while embracing prevention efforts, to improve the overall well-being of workers. Applying the Total Worker Health approach to a WSR program would involve building a culture of ongoing support for all issues workers may face, both on the job and away from work.