Drug addiction and alcoholism are very costly to a business. People with this illness are more likely to take sick time from work and to be less productive while at work. Additionally there might be accidents, insurance claims, and increased expenses on your company healthcare services. Alcoholism and addiction are diseases and in order to remain competitive a business must find a way to reduce their incidence amongst employees. The work environment will be greatly improved by having this illness effectively treated by sending the employee to a drug rehab center or alcohol treatment center.

Addiction is a complex phenomenon that affects people on many different levels. There are a number of intricacies involved in effectively treating this illness. Outpatient treatment is a cost effective way to provide a refresher course to those who have recently relapsed. These treatment programs are also effective for problem drinkers who may not yet have developed alcoholism.

For clients who have a serious problem and are motivated to completely changing the direction of their life residential (inpatient) treatment is recommended. These programs are typically quite intensive and use a multi-disciplinary team to comprehensively address the many facets of addiction.

Formal treatment in a drug rehab center is not always neccessary in addiction management. Some people are able to successfully change their behaviour using other methods, such as attendance at mutual help groups or through one-on-one psychotherapy. Addiction management is an encompassing term that includes various methods, tools, resources, and approaches that are used over a lifetime to manage addictive behaviour.

Experience has shown that there isn't a "one size fits all" approach that can be successfully applied to all people. Each person suffering from addiction or alcoholism has a unique lifestory that has led to the crisis for which they are now seeking help. An addiction management approach should take this into account and develop an individualized addiction treatment program. Finding the path that will suit the individual is an important part of improving long-term prognosis.

Companies have a duty to their employees to provide at least some assistance in combatting this illness. An alcoholic or otherwise addicted employee is likely to have poor work performance and increased absenteeism. If that employee is offered a comprehensive addiction treatment program in an established drug rehab center and then relapses what consequences are appropriate at work? Addiction is seen as a "no fault illness", but a company should not have to suffer an unproductive employee indefinitely. This is clearly a tricky line to walk for any human resource division.

Perhaps a clear way to assist the company would be to outline a comprehensive treatment program that includes specific, measurable, outcomes and recommendations. It would then be possible to check that the employee is adhering to the treatment program laid out by professionals. An employee who relapses while carefully obeying the recommendations of the drug rehab center could be viewed in a different light from somebody who has ignored the treatment recommendations.

The treatment recommendations that might be considered could include elements such as:

1) Regular attendance at aftercare sessions

2) Regular attendance at mutual support groups, including engaging in this program by obtaining a sponsor and completing written work

3) Followup sessions with psychiatrists where medication has been prescribed

4) Admission to a step-down facility or halfway house for the first few months of recovery

All of these are concrete and measurable activities that could provide an employer with an indication of how seriously the employee has taken the drug rehab center's recommendations.