OPPORTUNITY? CRISES OR
A Perspective from a Substance Abuse Professional BY NICHOLAS BARRY
My role as a Substance Abuse Professional is a small but integral part of the process that aims to keep the workplace safe. Safety is top priority, and the first thing that I emphasize when encountering the employee that has come before me because of an alcohol or drug infraction. Every case is different, but there are only so many outcomes. I am assessing to see if the person is a casual user, regular user, or substance abuse dependent; and also if he is able to change his behavior.
I
t is important to remember that our collective decisions affect people and their families, and we want all of our
actions to be moral and ethical. Inevitably, some people are not going to like what happens to them, and some can be very upset at those involved. I learned long ago that you cannot set a boundary on a behavior (i.e., policy) and protect feelings at the same time. It is one or the other, and where we must put safety first, some individuals are going to get their feelings hurt. We are all going to encounter some
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indignant and angry employees in our work. I know I have. I have found a way to reconcile this for myself and to pass this idea on to others. Usually, an employee who fails an
alcohol or drug test treats it as a giant negative at first, but this situation can be the critical factor that pushes someone to want to change. I believe that it can be seen as an opportunity to spur positive change for the employee. A person who has improved his behavior can eventually look back
and see that accountability and responsibility were two principles that made the improvement possible. Happily, these two fundamentals are what the process is all about. Employees who work for a company that has a serious and functional alcohol and drug testing policy should be thankful, because it is a win-win situation for the company and the employee who is under scrutiny. When I see someone who is upset, I try to concentrate on the positive part of the process.
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A FAILED DRUG TEST:
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