Drug and Alcohol Addiction Rehab for Working Professionals in Tennessee

Can You Keep Your Laptop and Phone in Residential Treatment?

Access to technology is limited during residential treatment. You typically will not have access during detox, and not unrestricted afterwards, but there may be accommodations for certain circumstances. Device access is limited usually due to the nature of withdrawal. Clinicians aim to remove stressors while individuals focus on early recovery, and a full inbox would not be stress free. Limited contact with the outside allows you to step away from life’s obligations to heal.

Also, each program has different policies so check with them individually before you decide. There are specific executive rehab programs that build in scheduled work windows when agreed upon with your therapist. Most individuals are able to keep a business running with this method rather immersing themselves in work day to day. If your role genuinely cannot pause, outpatient levels may be better suited to your needs. Ask about the current device policy at intake, and plan handovers around it.

Will Treatment Affect Your Professional License in Tennessee?

Going through treatment will not necessarily result in losing a license. There are many factors regarding your work regulations and the extent of recovery. Tennessee has programs built specifically to protect licensed professionals who come forward honestly to seek help. 

The Tennessee Professional Assistance Program is in connection with several health professional boards. They work with nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, emergency medical services, medical laboratory and massage licensure. There are protocols for both self-referral or a referral that comes from someone higher up in a chain of command. Whatever the circumstance, any referral to a recovery program will lead to monitoring, during which non-compliance is reported to the Tennessee Department of Health. Individuals working as attorneys have paths to recovery available through Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program, and physicians, pilots and some other professions also have their own programs. 

Two things are worth doing before you decide to disclose anything. Check your own job board’s reporting rules, because each license may have certain requirements for these kinds of situations. Seek advice specific to your license. Once you know your situation, call us about the clinical side, because entering private residential treatment before a problem reaches your employer is a far better position than after.

Does FMLA Pay Your Salary While You Attend IOP?

No. FMLA will protect your role of work, but they are not responsible for ensuring you receive your salary. Your work may have policies to deal with leave like this, but sometimes leave is unpaid. You may be able to continue receiving your salary by applying accrued vacation or sick time for the duration of your treatment, or some employers offer short-term disability that pays a portion.

Intensive outpatient programs may work better for anyone without alternative PTO options. For IOP, leave can be taken intermittently for the hours you are in session rather than as one large block of time. The FMLA rehab coverage guide sets out eligibility, and the employer notification guide covers how to request it without disclosing a diagnosis.

How Do You Tell Burnout From a Drinking Problem?

Drinking problems remain after the pressure lessens. Typically burnout can resolve as an individual gains distance from work stressors and gets genuine rest. If you have been given the time to rest, and the drinking or the pills continue through the holiday or a quiet quarter then the work stress is not what is driving the substance use.

Immense work stress can frequently be entangled with substance use, so many times efforts to mitigate that work stress are addressed alongside substance use during treatment rather than sequentially. High-performing professionals feeling anxiety and addiction may have begun so on the back of exhaustion. The two may have been feeding into each other over the years, and developing into a deeper dependence rather than just a minor burnout. If you’re wondering whether you are experiencing burnout or a deeper dependence, just give us a phone call and take our free assessment.

Can You Use an EAP Without Your Employer Knowing Why?

Yes, it is possible to use an EAP without your employer’s knowledge. An employee assistance program is bound strictly by confidentiality laws even though it is paid for by your employer. Outside providers provide EAPS, so your clinical information will stay with that provider unless given permission by you to share it. Employers will typically see usage statistics, but they will not have any specific information about the employees who have used their EAP.