When there is staff turnover in a treatment program, clients can lose progress in their treatment, causing them to remain in treatment longer, or leave against a clinician’s advice. Consequences to the client include potentially returning to their active addiction or losing support back in their community because of an extended recovery program.
Full Answer
What is a turnover problem in addiction treatment?
A turnover problem unique to addiction treatment facilities, or any facility where residential care takes place, is the interruption to client progress. Clients, especially those who are in recovery, are resistant to change, often lack appropriate coping skills, and do not trust easily.
What happens when there is staff turnover in a treatment program?
When there is staff turnover in a treatment program, clients can lose progress in their treatment, causing them to remain in treatment longer, or leave against a clinician’s advice. Consequences to the client include potentially returning to their active addiction or losing support back in their community because of an extended recovery program.
Why is employee turnover so high in the health care field?
Organizations in the health care field appear particularly susceptible to employee turnover due to the high-stress nature of the work, the long hours, low funding, and traumatic encounters. All of these factors leave organizations in the health care field at constant risk for high turnover.
What is the turnover rate for counselors?
This translates into a voluntary turnover rate for counselors of 24.9% (33.2% × .751) and an involuntary turnover rate of 7.4% (33.2% × .224). As shown in Table 1, the most frequent higher-order turnover category was job-related (32.7%).
How serious of a problem is staff turnover in substance abuse treatment?
In the substance abuse treatment field, the annual turnover rate is cited as being anywhere between 19 and 50 percent (Johnson & Roman, 2002; Gallon, Gabriel, & Knudsen, 2003; Knudsen et al., 2003; McLellan et al., 2003).
How can the workplace play a role in substance abuse treatment?
Many workplaces sponsor Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) that offer short-term counseling and/or assistance in linking employees with drug or alcohol problems to local treatment resources, including peer support/recovery groups.
What is the turnover rate for therapists?
Therapist turnover, or when a therapist voluntarily or involuntarily ends their tenure in their place of employment, is a major challenge in behavioral health services; between 30 and 60% of therapists leave their organization annually (Beidas et al.
How does addiction affect the workplace?
This is due to losses in productivity, high turnover rates, theft in the workplace, increases in absenteeism, utilization of sick time, and decreases in quality of work. Out of the 70% of employees that engage in substance use and maintain employment, over 42% report feeling a decrease in productivity as a result.
How should the substance abusing employee be handled?
If you suspect an employee of being impaired on the job:Take immediate action to remove the employee from any safety-sensitive work and begin gathering evidence of the incident.If applicable state laws and your employer policy allows, send the employee for a drug or alcohol test.
When dealing with an employee suspected of substance abuse a supervisor should?
First and foremost, if an employee is reasonably suspected of being impaired in the workplace, the employer should take immediate action to remove the employee from any safety-sensitive work and should investigate the potential impairment by (1) gathering evidence from supervisors (ideally trained in identifying drug ...
What is the turnover rate for mental health workers?
Annual turnover rates for behavioral health treatment providers in the United States generally hover around 30%−35% (1–4), although some single-site reports indicate higher rates (e.g., 49% [5, 6]) or lower rates (e.g., 18% [7]).
What percentage of drug addicts are employed?
70 percentAccording to data from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Survey on Drug Use and Health, "approximately 70 percent of all adults with an alcohol or illicit drug use disorder are employed.
What is group therapy and its role in the management of drug abuse?
In drug addiction treatments, the group leaders will see to it that they can work on building the members' coping skills, boost their motivation, limit conflicts, and make them see the connections between their drug use and their feelings and thoughts.
What type of hazards may occur in the workplace linked with the use of drugs and alcohol?
loss of productivity and poor performance. lateness and absenteeism. safety concerns. bad behaviour or poor discipline.
How to reduce turnover in an organization?
If you’re looking to reduce turnover at your organization, the first and best thing you can do is to offer the best compensation package possible. Compensation ranks as the highest concern for employees when it comes to accepting—and staying in—a position. Next, make sure you are taking your time in the hiring process.
Why do people leave addiction treatment?
These include: Lack of adequate compensation. Lack of adequate benefits. Burnout and stress.
Why is it so hard to assess management problems?
Assessing trouble with your management team can be difficult because most employees would sooner find a new position than attempt to bring management problems to light.
What happens when you fail to supply your employees with systems that function well?
When you fail to supply your employees with systems that function well, you erode your relationship with them. Employees tend to take bad technology in the workplace personally. A glitchy, hard-to-use software program or a clunky, old laptop communicates a lack of care and respect for your staff.
Can addiction treatment eliminate turnover?
Because addiction treatment is a naturally high stress work environment, you’ll never completely eliminate staff turnover. It will always be an issue. However, there are steps you can take to reduce employee turnover and retain your most talented staff.
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of staff turnover on perceptions of organizational demands and support among staff who remained employed in substance abuse treatment programs. The sample consisted of 353 clinical staff from 63 outpatient agencies.
1. Introduction
Turnover among clinical staff has been cited as one of the most significant and challenging issues facing the substance abuse treatment field ( Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly, 2002, Institute of Medicine, 1998, McLellan et al., 2003 ).
2. Method
Beginning in 2004, as part of the Treatment Costs and Organizational Monitoring (TCOM) project ( Broome et al., 2007, Knight et al., 2008 ), data on program characteristics, organizational functioning, and client composition were collected from 115 treatment programs in nine states: Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.
3. Results
Programs were generally private nonprofit (73%) and affiliated with a parent organization (69%).
4. Discussion
Although it is generally accepted that the high rate of staff turnover often observed in social service agencies negatively affects the health of those organizations, there exists relatively little documented evidence for this within substance abuse treatment settings.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the Gulf Coast, Great Lakes, Northwest Frontier, and South Coast ATTCs for their assistance with program recruitment and training. We would also like to thank staff at the individual programs who participated in assessments and training in the TCOM Project.
5 Ways to Prevent Burnout in Your Addiction Treatment Center Employees
Addiction treatment has always been a tough field to operate in. COVID 19 makes it even more challenging.
Define Employee Roles Clearly
Ambiguity at work is stressful for employees, so eliminate uncertainty by clarifying job responsibilities wherever possible.
Provide Staff with Ample Feedback At Your Addiction Treatment Center
Many people find social isolation at work to be stressful. We are social creatures who need collaboration and feedback to provide context for our shared goals and add meaning to our work. Lack of frequent contact with supervisors can lead employees to feel undervalued and ignored.
Get to Know Each Employee At Your Treatment Center
There is no one-size-fits-all panacea for burnout. Every employee will have different preventative measures that will best protect them from overwhelm at work.
Provide the Addiction Treatment Tools Meant for the Job
One of the easiest ways to prevent burnout in the addiction treatment sector is to provide adequate tools for your employees to complete their jobs. Clunky, obsolete EHR systems are far too common in addiction treatment centers, adding unnecessary layers of frustration to an already challenging job.
Give BehaveHealth a Try Today
You can’t eliminate burnout from your workplace entirely. Addiction treatment will always be a challenging—and at times, stressful—environment for employees.
How does addiction affect your job?
Job Problems Caused by Addiction. A person suffering from a substance abuse disorder effects not only themselves, but their friends, family, co-workers, and managers. Letting drugs or alcohol effect your work life is a fast way to create resentment and a bad reputation. Start the road to recovery. Get a Call.
How does missing work affect an addict?
Missing work or an inability to find a job will affect the addict as an individual and their family if they have one. There is a link between addiction, poverty, and abuse: children from low income families are 25% more likely to be abused, and children of alcoholics are 4 times more likely to be abused.
What are the signs of addiction?
One of the main signs of addiction is having drug use negatively affect your work.
How does alcohol affect the body?
Each substance effects the body in a different way. Alcohol can make someone drowsy, have slowed reflexes, and have impaired judgment and motor function. Opiates, like heroin or prescription pain medications, can cause a loss of interest at work, craving, and sweating.
What are the major concerns of every employer?
Lost profit and productivity, and injuries or fatalities are major concerns for every employer. This also effects the morale of other employees, increases turnover, and takes time away from the managers who now must handle the addict’s performance and attendance problems.
How do you know if you are addicted to alcohol?
It is important for employers to be able to recognize the signs of addiction, such as physical signs like red, watery eyes, sweaty palms and shaking hands, and a loss in personal hygiene. Addicts at work may exhibit a personality change, such as losing motivation and energy and becoming irritable.
What are the problems of substance use disorder?
A person suffering from a substance use disorder is not only affecting their own lives, they are impacting their family, friends, co-workers, and managers. If your drug or alcohol use is affecting your job negatively in any way and you continue to use, you may be suffering from a serious addiction.