Author: Charles Frank

Peer Recovery Professionals Recovery Coaches and Peer Recovery Advocates Friends of Recovery New York

PEER PROFESSIONALSA new way to support recovery is utilizing a certified addiction recovery coach (CARC) or certified recovery peer advocate (CRPA). Coaches (CARC) or peer advocates (CRPA) walk alongside you on your journey, and guide you as you create your action plan for recovery. They can link you to 12 step programs, professional counselors, school or employment services, social services such as housing and SNAP benefits, and other services to help support and maintain your recovery. They address multiple factors including education, job training and employment, positive family and social relationships, and housing opportunities, and they work to meet many other personal and professional needs. These factors, known collectively as “recovery capital,” enhance an individual’s ability to function in his or her surroundings, reduce the risk of problematic substance use, and maximize quality of life.

The peer-peer model helps patients see that others in their situation have succeeded. It’s widely known that health care professionals have access to some of the best health care available and, as a result, tend to have better health outcomes than the general population. However, what is less known is that health care professionals are no different from the general population when it comes to substance misuse and addiction rates. People may not know what paths exist, or even that a path exists at all, says Philip Rutherford, Chief Operating Officer at Faces and Voices of Recovery, who has been in recovery for 20 years and is also a member of the HEAL Community Partner Committee. This group of people with lived experience advises the NIH HEAL Initiative on research directions and ensures that research takes into consideration input from people and communities the initiative aims to benefit.

It’s possible that health care professionals with substance use issues are more likely to seek out positions that give them access to drugs. It’s also possible that health care professionals are more likely to develop SUDs because they are frequently exposed to traumatic events, such as patient death or serious injury. This exposure can lead to feelings of guilt, self-doubt, and inadequacy, which may, in turn, lead to substance misuse. This is a problem because addiction can lead to impaired judgment and decision-making, which can, in turn, jeopardize patient safety.

Techniques for Managing Stress and Avoiding Triggers

It’s a time when the support of employers, colleagues, and a well-informed support network becomes crucial. Recovery stories are important because people need choices that work for them, he urges. A faith-based approach in conjunction with medication may resonate with one person, whereas someone else may prefer behavioral therapy and a different type of medication for opioid use disorder (at least three are available and effective). This exploration delves into the multifaceted experiences of working professionals in early recovery.

1. The prevalence of impaired health care professionals is greatly underreported, and few seek treatment for substance use despite statewide impaired physician programs.
2. This is a problem because addiction can lead to impaired judgment and decision-making, which can, in turn, jeopardize patient safety.
3. Health care organizations can support these individuals by implementing policies and procedures that promote early intervention and treatment and a safe and successful return to work.
4. These strategies can help in managing workplace stress, avoiding triggers, and maintaining progress in recovery while fulfilling job roles.

A Recovery Coach can be a valuable asset to someone in recovery or working toward recovery from addiction.

As working professionals navigate the early stages of recovery from addiction, adopting effective strategies is crucial for balancing their professional responsibilities with their recovery needs. These strategies can help in managing workplace stress, avoiding triggers, and maintaining progress in recovery while fulfilling job roles. Recovery International’s self-help program is an excellent adjunct to professional care. Participants are expected to follow the advice of their health professionals regarding diagnoses, treatment and medication.

Understanding Early Recovery From Addiction

Legal and ethical considerations play a significant role in the journey of working professionals in early recovery. Awareness and understanding of these aspects can empower employees to navigate their recovery while maintaining their professional responsibilities. The IARCP promotes the Recovery Coach Professional designation and supports Recovery Coach Professionals by furthering our values-based coaching practices through building community, educational opportunities, and cultivating resources. Health care professionals travel in small circles and tend to become familiar with their colleagues. Individuals may fear permanent damage to their professional reputation if they come forward and ask for help.

The Role of Employers and Workplace Policies

There is no one reason why opioid use is so much higher in health care providers, but environmental factors may play a part. It has been argued that access to prescription medications is a significant factor in the use patterns of health care providers. A paper published in The American Journal on Addictions reported that studies of self-prescribing behaviors have uncovered that 87% of physicians have prescribed medications for themselves at some point in their careers. Most of the prescriptions in the study were for legitimate medical reasons, but other studies show most SUDs in health care professionals developed after they were given authority to prescribe. He states that research shows that family-based support for addiction recovery is critical but often not obtained. Yet sustained, personalized recovery services are essential because treatment is just the first step toward growth and finding a high quality of life without substances.

Treating Health Care Professionals

These agencies can be reimbursed by insurance companies, including Medicaid, for their non-clinical services. Health care organizations can support these individuals by implementing policies and procedures that promote early intervention and treatment and a safe and successful return to work. Health care organizations may provide health care professionals in recovery with access to counseling and peer support programs. In addition, these organizations can develop clear policies regarding drug and alcohol testing, job performance expectations, and confidentiality protections. That includes offering interactive, online seminars; pilot grant funding; research mentoring programs; help with designing and testing new measures; as well as collecting and sharing existing measurement resources. That is becoming a key metric for making these supports widely available through expanded public or private funding, or for linking the services to healthcare systems.

“A young person’s close family is almost always a key part of the solution,” Hogue says, adding that family isn’t just parents and siblings. For young adults, family also includes significant others and close friends who spend most time with that individual and are the source of both positive and negative influences. Many organizations, however, are small and not as familiar with how to collect and analyze data. Building relationships with some of these groups takes persistence and patience, toward improving their impact on people’s lives, he says. Created for Professional Coaches and others with Coaching skills seeking a Specialty in Addiction Recovery, including Counselors, Therapists, and Managers who want to serve a growing client base.