TIP 38: Integrating Substance Abuse Treatment and Vocational Services

This guide helps health care providers, systems, and communities support recovery from substance use disorders via employment mechanisms. It describes relevant research, examines emerging and best practices, identifies knowledge gaps and implementation challenges, and offers resources.

This Advisory, based on TIP 38, Integrating Substance Abuse Treatment and Vocational Services, presents strategies and resources for SUD treatment counselors and clinic directors to improve outcomes for clients in recovery by helping them find and keep employment and deal with workplace stresses. This Advisory is directed to programs serving clients who are unemployed, underemployed, or struggling in workplace settings.

This guide addresses specific treatment needs of adult men living with substance use disorders. It reviews sex-specific research and best practices, such as common patterns of substance use among men and specific treatment issues and strategies.

This guide helps substance use counselors treat clients with symptoms of depression and substance use conditions. Program administrators will learn how to integrate depression treatment into early drug treatment. The guidelines cover screening, assessment, treatment, counseling, cultural competence, and continuing care.

This Advisory, TIP 47, Substance Abuse: Clinical Issues in Intensive Outpatient Treatment, provides an overview of intensive outpatient (IOP) treatment. It discusses typical program goals; outlines key features that improve engagement, retention, and outcomes; and provides additional resources on this critical topic.

The EAP Prescription Drug Toolkit and Fact Sheets provide guidance related to counseling, referrals, and follow-up services (e.g., alternatives to prescription drugs, workplace drug misuse and relapse prevention, dangers of combined drug use, screenings, and evaluations before returning to work).