A recovery-friendly workplace is one where people in recovery (from substance use or mental health challenges) feel valued, understood, and supported. It’s a place where they can really thrive and where their individual experiences are viewed as assets, not liabilities.
Now, here’s the thing: It’s not just a “nice to have” idea to create such an environment. Companies that adopt recovery-friendly practices have lower turnover, happier employees, and even more profitable organizations.
Happier employees = better results, and a healthier workplace = happier employees.
But how do we start? Peer recovery coaches and recovery employment coaches are where that’s at.
Peer Recovery Coaches Role
Think of having someone in your place of work who has been there. A person that understands what it’s like and can show you the way. Peer recovery coaches tend to be people with lived experience in recovery. They are mentors to those in the workplace and guide, understand, and support one another.
Why is this important? Peer recovery coaches help open up communication and break down stigma, according to the Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative. They’re not therapists or supervisors; they’re peers. It helps in making their presence be less intimidating and more impactful.
Incorporating peer recovery coaches into business is not just about helping individuals; it’s about starting a ripple effect. Having one person feel supported strengthens their confidence. They perform better. And guess what? That energy spreads. In a way, it’s like lighting one candle and seeing how that candle lights up the whole room.
The quality and expertise of Peer Recovery Coaches (PRCs) and Recovery Employment Coaches (RECs) is essential to building a recovery friendly workplace. These are the professionals who bridge the gap between people in recovery and their employers, and create the supporting conditions that lead to success.
The Comprehensive Training for Peer Recovery Coaches is designed for peer recovery coaches who are employed by a public or private substance use treatment program to support persons with a substance use disorder.
Role Overview
Peer Recovery Coaches are people with lived experience in recovery, who help others on their journey. They mentor, build trust and act as advocates for recovery friendly workplace practices.
PRCs are effective only if the leaders have undergone thorough training and subsequent professional development.
Key training components
- Foundational Skills : Peer support requires active listening and motivational interviewing techniques. Evidence-based curricula designed for PRC roles can be found in the training programs offered by the Recovery Research Institute or recovery 180.org.
- Navigating Workplace Dynamics: PRCs understand workplace hierarchies, confidentiality protocols, and employee and employer relationships in order to act as mediators. The SAMHSA Recovery to Practice Curriculum provides coaches with workplace-specific recovery strategies.
- Trauma-Informed Care: Many people in recovery have suffered trauma, and therefore PRCs should be trauma informed. The approach guarantees that interactions are not only sensitive to past experience but that they focus on healing.
- Cultural Competency: Training programs underscore the need to customize support to a range of populations, keeping cultural and socioeconomic differences in mind that influence recovery.
Recovery Employment Coaches: Bridging the Gap
On the flip side, you have recovery employment coaches. These are professionals who help employees in recovery to work through the intricacies of working and living. They advocate for both employees and employers by advocating for supportive workplace policies, from identifying to helping plan out careers that align with recovery goals.
Think of it this way: the architects are recovery employment coaches. They create pathways for people to succeed in their role and also create health for the organization as a whole.
Role Overview:
The Recovery Employment Coaches focus on matching the employment goals to the recovery needs of the individual. They do career planning, skill building, and advocate for recovery-supportive workplace policies.
Key training components:
- Job-matching skills: RECs are trained to match specific roles to an individual’s skills, recovery timeline, and stress tolerance. They use CareerScope to assess and work with workforce development programs.
- Expertise in Workplace Accommodation: Understanding legal frameworks, for example the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), gives RECs the leverage to work with their employees in recovery to find reasonable accommodations.
- Economic Independence Strategies: Training includes financial literacy and goal-setting to reach long-term economic stability. Resources for REC certification are available via organizations such as Recovery180.
Technology, Training, and Support:
For PRCs and RECs, there are virtual training sessions and webinars available through Recovery180 and the RecoveryBusinessAssociation.org. These tools are accessible and cost-effective and bring the reach of recovery-friendly workplace initiatives to a larger audience.
PRCs and RECs are well suited to environments in which they have access to peer networks. So coaches can gather, learn from each other, and share best practices, challenges, and innovations in recovery support. Local and national organizations like Faces & Voices of Recovery host events and provide forums.
Coaches for Long-Term Success:
To retain effective PRCs and RECs, workplaces must invest in their well-being.
- Offer mental health resources that will prevent burnout.
- They need to offer competitive salaries and professional growth opportunities.
Organizations that prioritize training and support to recovery coaches create the conditions for recovery to thrive in the workplace and are good for employees and business.
Scaling Recovery Friendly Policies and Initiatives
Recovery-friendly workplace policies need to be scaled holistically and strategically. This requires collaboration between multiple stakeholders and an inclusive organization to determine how we can best utilize the resources available today to make the project sustainable.
A workplace cannot excel at its recovery initiatives without fostering an inclusive, respectful, and understanding culture. Leadership is what starts cultural transformation, but it has to resonate all the way down to the bottom of an organization.
- Leadership Commitment: Leaders should support recovery-friendly policies publicly to set the tone for inclusion. Hosting employee forums or celebrating National Recovery Month, for example, can help normalize recovery conversations and help reduce stigma
- Comprehensive Policies: Include specific recovery-friendly measures in workplace policies and update the policies. For instance, require clauses on flexible scheduling for aftercare treatment, or ban clearly discrimination against people in recovery.
Stigma and Inclusivity in Recovery-Friendly Workplaces
Technical systems and structured policies are important for recovery-friendly workplaces, but so too are the underlying cultural challenges, especially stigma. The stigma of addiction often prevents employees who are in recovery from seeking help or from being open about it. But employers can take intentional steps to dismantle stigma and promote inclusivity.
There are variations of stigma related to substance use disorder (SUD) that include negative stereotypes, discriminatory practices, and subtle bias.
This can lead to:
- Isolation: If employees don’t feel supported or judged, they can become disengaged.
- Workplace Conflict: Misconceptions about what recovery is can cause tension among team members.
- Hesitation to Seek Help: Employees may be afraid of being labeled and thus may not be able to access the resources they need.
Creating an Inclusive Environment
- Employees who share about their own recovery journeys can be amazing advocates, simply by telling their stories that humanize the recovery experience. It is a peer-led approach that builds empathy and reduces misconceptions.
- Employers can train staff to use person-first language. For example, changing someone from an “addict” to its equivalent, like using “person in recovery,” is more humanizing and debunks stigma.
- Businesses can join in with the larger community efforts to reduce stigma by partnering with external organizations like the Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiative.
Together, we can extend the conversation past the workplace and help create societal change through campaigns like workshops or awareness weeks.
Businesses should be sure that when introducing recovery programs, all employees feel welcome and understood.
Considerations include:
- Providing onboarding sessions hosted that address a range of recovery paths, from abstinence-based to harm reduction.
- Anonymous surveys for the purpose of gathering feedback on particular support needs.
- Apps such as WEconnect Health Management and Sober Grid put recovery support groups, motivational resources, and relapse prevention tools in the hands of employees.
- Employees can complete training on SUDs and recovery on their own online platforms. This guarantees that all teams are on the same page with the knowledge.
Employers can use tech solutions to track the effectiveness of recovery programs.