Substance use disorder is costing employers billions. Here's how to invest in treatment

Debbie Hickey can trace the start of her substance abuse to when she was just 14 years old. But whether it was at school or the workplace, Hickey knew she couldn't reveal what she was struggling with. 

"I had some difficulty fitting in, and I felt very uncomfortable in my own skin," she says. "I found that consuming alcohol was like an equalizer, making me experience a level of comfort as I moved through the world. It just took away fear."

By the time she was 24, Hickey knew something had to change. She was fortunate enough to have a therapist at the time who recommended a 12-step peer support program. While the road to recovery wasn't linear, after 33 years sober she now serves as the director of communications at Lionrock Recovery, a telehealth solution for addiction recovery. 

Read more: This founder overcame addiction — now he combats stigma with success

Hickey is confident that the journey to sobriety is well worth it. But not everyone suffering from an addiction is so lucky. Societal stigma leads to a lack of resources, forcing addicts to find help alone in an already confusing, costly healthcare system. But with over 46 million Americans diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder (SUD), addiction is hardly rare; it's just not spoken about, especially in the workplace, underlines Peter Loeb, co-founder and CEO of Lionrock. 

Loeb is dedicated to combating this stigma and empowering employers with tools to help employees suffering with an SUD. He knows firsthand the difference help can make.

"I come to this field through my family members," says Loeb. "I lost my sister just over a decade ago to opioids. My oldest daughter, who is also a co-founder of Lionrock, celebrated her 17th year in recovery. So I've seen the range of what substance use disorders can do — both the horrible and the recovery that really works."

Loeb emphasizes addiction is a mental health condition, rather than a moral failing. In fact, a recovering addict who no longer uses illegal substances is protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act, meaning employers cannot discriminate against said employee on the basis of past drug addiction.

"A lot of people believe people with substance use disorders are celebrating, but they're actually self-medicating," he says. "Seventy percent of Lionrock's client's have an underlying, diagnosable mental health disorder. If the workplace wants to focus on mental health, then employers should be integrating substance use disorder treatment into their benefits packages."

Read more: The impact of trauma on the workplace: How employers can support recovery

In addition to saving lives, employers may want to consider the costs. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence estimates that SUD costs employers $81 billion every year through drops in productivity, absenteeism, turnover and recruitment costs, healthcare costs, workplace accidents and disability and workers' compensation. Meanwhile, research from the University of Chicago reveals that every employee that recovers from addiction saves employers over $8,500.

However, offering help isn't as simple as providing a platform like Lionrock's to employees, says AJ Black, director of business development at Lionrock. Companies have to build trust, or the benefit will go unused. 

"Getting the trust of the employee population is really the steepest slope from my perch," says Black. "Employees usually think that the management is out to get them, and if they use the program, they will get fired."

Read more: Tech leaders struggle with mental health and substance abuse in the face of industry layoffs

Black and Loeb agree: The first step to integrating a recovery benefit is destigmatize addiction in the workplace. It's why Lionrock includes management training and HR support in their free Courage to Change: Workplace Wellness Program, alongside employee educational resources and discussions around addiction. Loeb sees this program as setting the foundation for an employer-provided recovery benefit. Employers can see for themselves whether employees need it, while leaving the program better versed in SUD. 

"It's not enough to have an EAP and your employee gets two or three sessions," says Loeb. "You really need to have an understanding of what it means to engage with people with SUDs, who are often quite terrified to come forward and speak."

Hickey didn't have employer support while in recovery. After leaving a job in the airline industry for a more corporate setting, she was just thankful that drinking wasn't vital to her company's culture. It wasn't until she found theprogram with peer support that she believed she could truly get better. But she wants others struggling with SUD to have an easier path. 

Read more: Employers know their mental health benefits aren't cutting it

"[The company] felt like a place where I could sort of be under the radar and do my job," says Hickey. "No one wants to walk through the path of getting sober because it's pretty hellish. But it felt different once I had support — I felt hopeful."

Hickey encourages employers to create a stigma-free culture and offer clinical and peer support programs in good faith. She advises benefit leaders to at least prioritize mental health coverage in their insurance contracts, so help is at least accessible in some form. 

Loeb and Black also ask employers to invest in telehealth solutions. While Lionrock does offer outpatient care, employees faced with a less intensive SUD can do their recovery program online. Families with loved ones struggling with addiction can access online counseling, too.

Read more: 4 ways to support employees with alcoholism

"It's the most private way to get help, because you don't have to tell anyone you're leaving for rehab or miss work and family obligations," says Loeb. "You can recover from the privacy of your own home."

Hickey, Loeb and Black are hopeful that more employers will adopt recovery programs and family counseling into their list of mental health benefits. Those suffering from addiction deserve a fighting chance, says Hickey. 

"One of the reasons people don't get help is because they already tried, but it wasn't what they needed," she says. "But please don't give up, because you're worth a better life."