Assistance is available from a range of professional services
There is a wide range of people who are, in principle at least, in a position to assist with drug and alcohol problems when it becomes apparent that there are concerns that need to be addressed. For many people, the GP is the first port of call. This is often because problems relating to drugs and alcohol lead to a range of health problems - some minor, some major - that bring the person concerned to the attention of his or her GP. Some GPs will work extensively with people with drug or alcohol problems but, in many cases, it is likely that a referral to a specialist source of help will be made if the problems are regarded as sufficiently serious to warrant this.
In addition, there are psychiatrists, psychologists, nursing staff, social workers and others who specialise in matters relating to drug and alcohol abuse. There are also various voluntary and private, profit-making organisations which provide assessment, treatment and support services (details of some of these can be found in the Resources section). Problems relating to drug and alcohol misuse exist along a continuum from fairly mild, at one extreme, to extremely serious at the other. It is therefore important not to assume that all problems will benefit from the services available - some may be too minor to warrant professional attention. If in doubt, however, you should make enquiries rather than make what could turn out to be unfounded assumptions.
The various services are normally located outside of the workplace but, within the work base setting, the two usual ports of call are either the Occupational Health Unit (or equivalent) or the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) if one exists in your organisation.
One of the major problems in relation to drug and alcohol problems in the workplace is that they often go unrecognised as such. That is, they tend to emerge in other guises - for example, disciplinary or performance problems. An important ability therefore is that of recognising when drugs and/or alcohol are an issue and therefore when to involve specialist services in this area. We should be very wary of the danger of oversimplifying these matters and assuming that these problems are the sign of a weak individual who needs to pull him- or herself together (parallel with the long-standing problems of dismissing stress as a sign of a weak individual rather than recognising the complexities involved - see the section on Tackling Stress). It is normally not that simple, as it is generally the case that there are complex problems that lead to a reliance on drugs and alcohol, and the inappropriate use of such drugs can then create a vicious circle which leads to the original problems being exacerbated rather than helped. It is therefore important to draw on specialist help whenever this is needed, rather than try and fudge the issue or avoid it altogether, as these ill-conceived efforts to resolve the difficulties can actually make them worse in many cases.
Dr Neil Thompson
Learning resources to help you manage drug and alcohol issues and other situations that can arise when dealing with people
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Promoting Workplace Well-being brings together contributors from a wide range of backgrounds to provide a thought-provoking overview of the human aspects of the workplace, including drug and alcohol problems. It also offers offers potential solutions. |
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Responding to Loss (Russell House Publishing, 2010)
Order from the Avenue Learning Centre |
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DVD Resources
No organisation is immune from alcohol and drugs problems among its workforce. Such difficulties can arise in large or small organisations, private, public or voluntary sectors and across industries or service areas. Training and development staff, human resources professionals and managers in any organisation can therefore put these materials to good use by developing training for key staff and managers and awareness programmes for all employees. It can also be of benefit to tutors and teachers involved in presenting courses on social studies, organisational studies, management and human resources. This DVD has been developed to help organisations to prepare themselves for the challenges presented by alcohol and drugs problems. The difficulties presented can range from minor and limited in scope to severe and extensive, sometimes with devastating consequences for the individuals involved, for the team, the wider organisation and its stakeholders. Without a good understanding of alcohol and drugs problems in the workplace managers and human resources professionals will find themselves ill-equipped to deal with the demands made on them if or when such problems arise. |
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Coping with Depression (Avenue Media Solutions)
This DVD has been prepared as an aid to a wide range of professionals who may be called upon to support someone who is experiencing depression. Responding to the needs of a depressed person can be very challenging work, and, if we are not well equipped, we can make the situation worse. It is therefore important that we have a good understanding of what is involved and that is what this resource offers. The presentation is divided into four parts, covering: What is depression? What are the causes of depression? What are the effects of depression? and: How can we help? |
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Working with Grief (Avenue Media Solutions)
Part One discusses the nature of grief by asking: What is grief? Part Two examines how grief affects us, the various ways in which it has an impact on people’s lives. The final part explores how we can support people are grieving. This DVD offers a sound foundation for more confident and effective approaches to situations that involve one or more people who are experiencing loss and grief. |
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Dealing with Stress: A 3-DVD Set (Avenue Media Solutions)
Stress issues are often oversimplified, with the subtleties and complexities not properly understood. Because of this, the DVDs offer a clear understanding of what stress is all about. Each of the three presentations draws on the expertise of leading author, Dr Neil Thompson. DVD 1 is entitled Understanding Stress and provides an introductory overview for everyone concerned with the problem of stress. It explains the difference between pressure and stress and emphasises the need to understand the three dimensions of stress (pressures – coping – support). It also outlines the various costs to be paid for not dealing with stress. DVD 2 is entitled Meeting the Stress Challenge and focuses on the individual’s responsibility for keeping pressures within manageable limits. It also helps learners to understand the causes of stress. As such, it provides a foundation for preventing stress. DVD 3 is entitled Managing Stress and emphasises the manager’s role in keeping stress at bay. This covers legal and professional requirements, identifies some common pitfalls to avoid and highlights positive steps that managers can take. It provides a firm basis for effective management and positive leadership. Each DVD is approximately 30 minutes in length and the set includes additional learning resources that can be printed out from pdf files on the DVD to offer up to two days’ training. |
Tackling Drug and Alcohol Problems in the Workplace home page
