Addiction, the addict, and career: Considerations for the employment counselor

Employment counselors have been resistant to working with persons in recovery from addiction except under the strictest of criteria. This article examines the relationship between this resistance and the concepts of addiction and addict. Following this is an examination of substance abuse recovery and practical suggestions on incorporating recovery knowledge into career counseling. The goals of the article are twofold: (a) to present a framework that highlights the necessity of employment counseling for the recovery process from substance misuse and (b) to affirm that many employment counselors have the skills needed to assist clients who have been labeled as addicts.