How to Re-enter the Workforce and Rebuild Your Career After Addiction Treatment

Returning to work after addiction treatment involves more than simply updating your resume and applying for jobs. It involves reacquiring the habits and confidence that drug or alcohol abuse has eroded, and this process takes time and patience. The most crucial thing is to avoid unrealistic expectations for yourself and your progress.

Focus on routines before resumes

Before opening up Indeed, try to reestablish some daily routines, no matter how minimal. Define when you wake up, when you eat, and set aside an hour or two for an active or focused task (your active time can be very minimal; the important part is to have it).

This is crucial to avoid idle time, which can easily push you towards thoughts of using again. Left alone, wandering thoughts will find their way to the black bag with the skull and crossbones, so try to fill your head with other things by being occupied with your daily tasks. What you are doing now should be similar to what you were doing during rehab, mostly because that routine served as a method of keeping you from being alone with your thoughts. If you were attending group meetings and had scheduled times for meals and other intermissions while in treatment, try to recreate that as fully as possible.

Take stock of your accomplishments

It is easy to finish treatment and conclude that your resume has nothing to offer and that the empty time on your application will hurt you by default, but it is rarely true if you take a closer look at what you have done over the course of your rehabilitation and what skills you have acquired.

Make a distinction between your past jobs and the period of your treatment because, for all intents and purposes, that is what it was: an unpaid position as a health, wellness, and recovery specialist. You likely received a mid-level performance review during your stay, so let’s conduct one for you as well. What were your general responsibilities, deliverables, KPIs, and outcomes? Let’s start with what you were required to do this time around: in other words, your own health and welfare. Aside from that, did you sponsor anyone or did you receive sponsorship from someone during your treatment? Did you lead any groups or 12-step meetings, and if so, how many? Did you remain clean and sober, and if so, how did you do it? Were you accountable to someone or something during your treatment, or did you hold others accountable? More specifics please! Did you serve as your sponsors’ clients or did you hold any other roles within your treatment facility? Did you manage all aspects of your treatment schedule? Did you facilitate or participate in group or individual therapy, and did you engage in cognitive behavioral therapy to develop alternative responses to situations that previously triggered you? Was your work focused on developing impulse control mechanisms? Tell me about your average day, from waking up to going to sleep. Did you volunteer as a sponsor for any local community-based recovery therapy events? Did you get in touch with anyone outside of your treatment facility as a resource for your own or others’ continued recovery?

Create a resume and a response, not an excuse

A functional or combination resume is a good choice for most people, but especially for those who want to lead with their skills and abilities rather than a chronological summary of their professional history. It highlights your competencies while still putting your employment timeline at the end, so a large gap will simply appear as one entry.

As for explaining that gap at your interview, have a truthful, pithy statement ready to go that does not require much elaboration. For example: “I have been taking care of a health issue and am now all set to return to work.” That is an entirely truthful and non-expansive answer that does not give anyone the opportunity to pry into your personal life. You do not owe anyone an explanation about your struggles, your treatment, or your recovery process.

You may also want to remind yourself that the Americans with Disabilities Act protects qualified workers and job applicants with a history of substance use disorders, and you are not obligated to disclose a past addiction on a job application or during an interview. Many employers, unfortunately, are still operating under the same misguided beliefs about addiction that existed before these legal protections were in place. Your medical history is none of their business, and the ADA is designed to protect you in situations where employers fail to understand their legal obligations.

Consider finding a transitional job

Returning to work after treatment is rarely appropriate or effective as soon as you finish rehab. Too many people set themselves up for failure by trying to return to full-time work right away.

This is where transitional employment can help: part-time, temporary, internship, or volunteer positions all allow you to rebuild the skills and attitudes you may have lost while in rehab. You will relearn such crucial components of professional behavior as punctuality, following directions, dividing your working and leisure time, and managing frustration without resorting to recidivism. These jobs can also serve as an excellent reference, since you can point to the people you directly worked with as proof of your positive work ethic and attitude.

Supported employment and vocational rehabilitation services can help you find such positions as well as connect you with employers that have a positive attitude toward people in recovery and understand their needs. They may also assist you in addressing some of the practical challenges associated with returning to work, such as maintaining a reliable schedule, transportation to and from work, and avoiding relapse triggers at the worksite if possible.

Ask your network for help, not your permission

The job search process can be fairly isolating, even from a neutral perspective, but for a person with a recent history of substance use disorder, it can be downright dangerous. This is where your network of supporters can come in handy. Sponsors, alumni groups, and sober friends are not just here to listen to you, although that is important, too. They can share their knowledge and offer practical advice on the job market, potential employers, and your interactions with them.

This is the time to involve your aftercare support network, if you have one, and it is crucial to continue engaging with it, at least intermittently. Having someone to report to besides yourself is an essential part of the job search process because it serves as a reminder that you are not alone. Job hunting can be discouraging, with frequent rejections and many chances to give up and go back to old habits, and having someone to encourage you and hold your accountable can help immeasurably during this time. This is also the reason why treatment facilities like Legacy Healing NJ will design their aftercare programs around support networks and sponsored activities; when their clients are struggling, they need someone to lean on besides themselves. If your treatment facility has an alumni network, it may be a good idea to join it while you still have that connection. If not, look for something in your local area.

Think about potential triggers beforehand

Work-related stress can be an incredibly powerful trigger for relapse, although the circumstances that lead to it can vary dramatically from case to case. A particularly demanding boss, looming deadlines, and the general pressure to prove oneself as “recovered” can all be potential stress points. Unrealistic expectations for yourself can also hurt, as can comparisons with peers who have not struggled with addiction and, therefore, have not had to take a break from work.

Some triggers are more obvious, such as invitations to after-work drinks with colleagues or holidays at a local bar, where drinking is practically compulsory. These are situations where you will want to establish your own boundaries ahead of time and decide whether you will attend such events, leave earlier, skip them altogether, or attend and quietly order non-alcoholic drinks without giving an explanation.

This is another occasion where understanding the company culture is useful is important before accepting a position, rather than once you are already employed. Ask about the Employee Assistance Program, if one is available, and consider it carefully, even if you think you will not need it for the first six months. Pay attention to whether or not people tend to leave the office at the same time, go to bars afterward, and how open they are about their personal lives in general. This does not necessarily mean turning down a job offer, but it is something that should be taken into account before accepting a position.

Look for employers that value second chances

There are several employers that operate on second chance hiring policies, meaning they are more receptive to applications from people in recovery or with a criminal record versus those who do not have such an experience. Several such companies can be found in the construction, hospitality, staffing, manufacturing, and transit industries, and second chance hiring is becoming increasingly common in white-collar jobs as well. Job placement agencies that work with local community centers can also have a list of preferred employers in your region.

An excellent employee assistance program can also indicate a company’s receptiveness to your needs as a person in recovery, because it shows that the organization has invested resources in learning how to deal with a variety of sensitive issues, including substance use disorders. This can, in turn, suggest that the company will be less judgmental of your experience and more helpful in addressing it.

Focus on small successes to boost confidence

You do not have to be employed to have a successful return to work after addiction treatment, but it is crucial to begin somewhere, no matter how small. Keeping track of your weekly accomplishments makes it easier to evaluate your progress, no matter how slow it may be, and helps prevent discouragement or unnecessary comparisons with others. Write down everything you do: send applications, network, update your resume, take steps to address triggers. These are the things you should be measuring your job readiness and confidence by, and these are the things you should review at the end of a challenging week and remind yourself that you have done.

It is also important to remember that most people with substance use disorders do return to work after treatment. 70% of American adults with substance use disorders are, in fact, employed (SAMHSA), and returning to work is the default expectation during most treatment programs, which is why there is little reason to fear the process itself.

Have a financial plan to reduce pressure

Financial stress is a major relapse trigger on its own, regardless of any other circumstances, so it is crucial to have an honest discussion with yourself about your own financial situation. If you had to take a break from work during your treatment, make a realistic budget that outlines your needs, wants, and expenses. You may want to speak with a financial counselor at your community service center or at the addiction treatment facility you attended to create one if you do not have one already.

A good financial plan is something that most people will benefit from at some point in their lives, especially if they are employed. It helps distinguish wants from needs, allocate funds to different areas of your life, and identify ways you can reduce expenses or increase income over time. If you are in a transitional job, your income should serve as a baseline for your longer-term financial goals rather than a final destination.