Drug-Free Workforce Conference

Improving Productivity and Other Employment Outcomes Through Substance Abuse Prevention, Intervention, Treatment and Recovery

July 10-11, 2003
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
Washington, DC

In order to help employers hire and retain a well-prepared, safe, and drug-free workforce, the U.S. Department of Labor, with assistance from the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Justice and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, convened the Drug-Free Workforce Conference. This invitation-only event brought together approximately 150 participants to consider how best to advance the event's theme: "Improving Productivity and other Employment Outcomes through Substance Abuse Prevention, Intervention, Treatment and Recovery." Attendees represented a diverse cross-section of employers, treatment providers, the workforce development system, Federal staff, researchers in related fields, and workers in recovery from substance abuse. Conference materials are being made available on this Web site to help participants put into action the next steps identified during the conference.

A briefing book (see links below) provided background information and presented questions for discussion. Presentations provided additional information on: the nature of substance abuse treatment, addiction and recovery; the prevalence and impact of substance abuse on the workforce; lessons learned from other special populations about employment challenges; and overviews of the various systems. Participants shared successful strategies for increasing systems coordination among employers, the workforce development system, substance abuse treatment providers, the disability community, and community- and faith-based organizations.

Working groups discussed substance abuse prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery challenges and opportunities that might occur during interaction between the following sets of systems:

• Employers and substance abuse treatment providers
• Employers and the workforce investment system
• Workforce investment system and substance abuse treatment providers.

The Drug-Free Workforce Triangle represents the interaction of the systems discussed.

Each working group reported on:

• Strategies for improving systems coordination,
• Suggestions for how governments can help improve productivity and other employment outcomes, and
• Concrete next steps participants can take to improve systems coordination and outcomes.

Summary Report for Working Groups (Will be posted at a later date.)

Note: The opinions and conclusions expressed in the conference materials presented herein are solely those of the authors and should not be construed as representing the opinions or policy of the U. S. Department of Labor or any other Federal agency. Furthermore, references to Web sites and other materials produced and/or published by any entity other than the U.S. Government are included for informational purposes only. Such references are not intended, and should not be interpreted, as an endorsement of the materials or any of their contents, the organizations, or respective Web sites.

Drug-Free Workforce Conference Briefing Book
Front Cover and Table of Contents
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Introduction to Sections 4-8
Section 4
Section 5
Section 6
Section 7
Section 8
Section 9
Appendix A: Glossary
Appendix B: Bibliography

Conference Agenda

Microsoft® PowerPoint® Presentations (in order of appearance on agenda)

Plenary

• Understanding Addiction and the Power of Recovery, José A. Rivera

Panel 1: Drug-Free Workplace Challenges And Strategies

• Substance Use and Workplace Strategies: Prevalence and Impact Data, Joe Gfroerer
• Economic Impact of Substance Abuse and Benefits of Treatment, William S. Cartwright, Ph.D.
• Effectiveness of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), Paul Roman, Ph.D.
• Drug Testing: How (Well) Does it Work? Robert Stephenson

Panel 2: Current Practices And Systems Overview

• Overview of the Substance Abuse Treatment System, Anne Herron

Panel 3: Employment Challenges-Lessons Learned From Other Communities

• Do Functional Impairments Persist in Recovery? Dennis Moore, Ed.D.
• Employing People with Serious Mental Illness, Judith Cook, Ph.D.
• Combining Substance Abuse Treatment and Job Training for TANF Recipients, Jon Morgenstern, Ph.D

Plenary

• Building A Healthy Work Organization: Innovative & Promising Approaches, Joel Bennett, Ph.D.

Promising Practices

• Archives

• Spanish Materials