Substance Abuse

Course Code : MSA - RT

Overview

The programme will deal with the important social, legal and personal issues concerning substance abuse in the workplace. The purpose of the course is to protect the company, its employees and its managers while providing fist-level assistance for those employees who are substance abusers. Companies with sound and fair policies and practices related to substance abuse are considered as good employers.

Learning assumed to be in place

Literacy and average skills in English. Most supervisors and managers will almost certainly have the necessary prior learning requirements.

Target audience

Managers and supervisors who may need to identify and deal with substance abuse in the workplace.

Further learning for this group or their managers might include the examination and modification of company policies and procedures for dealing with substance abuse in the workplace. Other possibilities might include more details of labour law relating to discipline and dismissals or more advanced counselling.

It is probable that, in most serious cases of abuse, the affected employee’s behaviour will ultimately lead to dismissal despite first-level intervention by supervisors and/or managers. Further treatment or counselling for the dismissed employee would then become the responsibility of professionals in that field.

Course objectives

Following the programme, delegates will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the background to substance abuse, some reasons and rationalisations behind abuse as well as dependence and typical abuse progression.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the basic rights of the employer, the affected employee and the employee’s co-workers.
3. Describe issues of trust and confidentiality concerning substance abusers in the workplace.
4. Demonstrate their knowledge of the social norms, limits and acceptability of the use of various substances commonly abused.
5. Identify five groups of commonly abused substances.
6. Describe and discuss issues relating to health & safety, competence, example, influence, and caring concerning substance abusers in the workplace.
7. List common and simple behavioural traits that may assist in identifying substance abusers.
8. Demonstrate an ability to provide first-level assistance and counselling to substance abusers and identify situations when specialist intervention may be required.
9. Demonstrate an empathetic and caring, but firm, approach to managing substance abusers in the workplace.

There will be no pre-programme assessments.

Assessment of these skills will be achieved through written answers to quizzes, group discussions, case studies and role-playing exercises during the programme and a short written multiple-choice questionnaire at the conclusion of the programme.

Course content

• The background to abuse.
• Personal choice.
• Confidentiality.
• Behavioural change, competence and example.
• Social acceptability.
• Dependence and progression.
• The rights of those associated or involved with substance abusers.
• Groups of commonly abused substances.
• Health & safety issues.
• Risks to co-workers.
• Identifying possible substance abusers.
• Managing with empathy.
• First-level assistance and its limits.
• Discipline and dismissal.

Course duration

The programme requires 16 hours with the group. This may be run as two full days, four half days, or eight, two-hour sessions. The four- or eight-session versions are preferable in that they facilitate learning outside the training room through observation and discussion with others.

The programme may be run outside normal working hours if required.

Number of delegates: Minimum 5, Maximum 12

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