VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION (FROM HANDBOOK ON DRUG ABUSE, 1979 BY ROBERT DUPONT AND AVRAM GOLDSTEIN - SEE NCJ-57805)

• NCJ Number: 57818
• Author(s): E WOLKSTEIN; D HASTINGS-BLACK
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 6 pages
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUCCESSFUL DRUG ABUSE REHABILITATION AND EMPLOYMENT IS HIGHLIGHTED; CATEGORIES OF VOCATIONAL SERVICES ARE SPECIFIED.

Abstract

EMPLOYMENT REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE DRUG ABUSE REHABILITATION PROCESS. STUDIES INDICATE THAT THOSE WHO SECURE EMPLOYMENT ARE MORE LIKELY TO COMPLETE TREATMENT PROGRAMS THAN THOSE WHO REMAIN UNEMPLOYED. VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION PRACTICE RELIES HEAVILY UPON REFERRAL PROCEDURES TO EXISTING COMMUNITY RESOURCES. EFFECTIVE USE OF THESE RESOURCES IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO THE EXADDICT BECAUSE OF SUCH RESIDUAL PROBLEMS AS LOWERED SELF-ESTEEM, PRISON RECORDS, POOR EDUCATION, ADDICTION HISTORY, LIMITED VOCATIONAL SKILLS, AND POOR EMPLOYMENT RECORDS WHICH SERVE AS MAJOR OBSTACLES TO EMPLOYMENT THROUGH CONVENTIONAL MEANS. IN ADDITION, VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION IS OFTEN LEFT TO IMPROPERLY TRAINED COUNSELORS, MOST OF WHOM SPEND TWO-THIRDS OF THEIR TIME ON MATTERS UNRELATED TO EMPLOYMENT. BETTER TREATMENT PROGRAMS, HOWEVER, SPECIFICALLY INCLUDE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION SPECIALISTS, MANPOWER SPECIALISTS, EMPLOYMENT SPECIALISTS, JOB DEVELOPERS, AND CLINIC COUNSELORS. VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION SERVICES FALL INTO 10 CATEGORIES: (1) DEVELOPMENT OF A WRITTEN VOCATIONAL PLAN, (2) INDIVIDUALIZED CLIENT ASSESSMENT, (3) DETERMINATION OF GOALS, (4) CONTINUING VOCATIONAL COUNSELING WITH FOLLOW-UP SUPPORT, (5) TRAINING TO FOCUS ON REMEDIAL EDUCATION, (6) REFERRAL PROCEDURE FOR SERVICE PROCUREMENT, (7) READINESS ASSESSMENT, (8) JOB DEVELOPMENT, (9) JOB PLACEMENT, AND (10) AFTERCARE FOLLOWUP. ALTHOUGH DISCRIMINATION AND PROHIBITIVE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA ARE FREQUENTLY CONFRONTED BY THE FORMER ADDICT, THOSE EMPLOYERS WHO HAVE AGREED TO PARTICIPATE IN EXADDICT HIRING EFFORTS ARE FAVORABLY IMPRESSED WITH THEIR EMPLOYEES. IN ORDER TO IMPROVE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION EFFORTS, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT EXADDICTS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EXISTING COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT SERVICES, THAT TREATMENT PROGRAM STAFFS RECEIVE MORE ONSITE TRAINING IN VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION, AND THAT FUTURE RESEARCH EFFORTS INCLUDE EMPLOYMENT DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LWM)