Every year, National Addictions Awareness Week provides an important opportunity to shine a light on substance use disorders (SUDs) and the impact they have on individuals, families, and workplaces across Canada. 

While conversations about mental health have grown in recent years, discussions around substance use often remain stigmatized or misunderstood. This week is a reminder that education, early intervention, and compassionate support are key to recovery and reintegration.

At Medaca, we understand that substance use doesn’t exist in isolation - it often intersects with other mental health conditions. In fact, research shows that up to 20% of people seeking mental health services are also living with an addiction (Concurrent Disorders, Substance Abuse Canada, 2009). 

Recognizing and addressing these concurrent disorders is critical not only for personal well-being but also for successful outcomes in the workplace.

The Role of Early Identification and Assessment

Substance use disorders can manifest in different ways, ranging from alcohol and prescription medication misuse to illicit drug use. Early identification is vital, as it allows for timely intervention, tailored treatment plans, and better outcomes for both the individual and the organization.

This is where comprehensive assessments by psychiatrists and clinical experts come in. At Medaca, our TeamCare SUD service provides in-depth evaluations to understand the complexity of an individual’s condition, identify co-occurring mental health concerns, and create a structured recovery plan.

“A comprehensive psychiatric assessment provides more than a diagnostic label. It clarifies what is driving the behaviour, whether unresolved trauma that has altered stress physiology and reinforced substance use as a form of self-regulation, or co-occurring mood and anxiety disorders that that amplify negative affect and drive substance use as a maladaptive form of emotion regulation. The earlier these patterns are understood, the sooner we can guide the person toward tailored resources for sustainable recovery. Timely, compassionate evaluation protects not only the individual’s wellbeing but also their sense of dignity and agency within their workplace.”

- Dr Andrea Grabovac

Substance Use and the Workplace

The workplace can play a pivotal role in supporting employees with substance use challenges. A structured return-to-work plan, informed by a thorough assessment, can make all the difference in sustaining recovery while maintaining productivity.

For employers, understanding SUDs as health conditions - rather than moral failings - is crucial. Providing supportive frameworks, such as flexible work arrangements, access to counselling, and clear pathways to rehabilitation, benefits both the individual and the organization. Employees feel valued, supported, and more confident in their recovery journey, while employers see reduced claim durations and improved overall workplace engagement.

“From a clinical perspective, successful return-to-work planning starts with understanding each individual’s unique vulnerabilies to relapse, such as disrupted sleep, specific stressors or untreated anxiety that can reignite reward-system sensitivity and increase relapse risk.

Workplace accommodations that acknowledge these vulnerabilities make recovery sustainable. This can mean adjusting workload expectations during early reintegration, ensuring predictable schedules that support sleep hygiene, or allowing time for medical and therapy appointments without stigma.

Mental health integration, in practice, involves embedding this understanding into everyday operations — training managers to recognize early warning signs, coordinating with occupational health teams, and fostering a culture where seeking help is seen as strength, not liability. These supports create conditions where employees can maintain stability and employers can genuinely contribute to long-term recovery outcomes.”

- Dr Andrea Grabovac

Medaca’s TeamCare SUD: Comprehensive and Compassionate

Our TeamCare SUD service is specifically designed to provide specialized care for individuals navigating substance use challenges. Key elements of the program include:

• In-depth Assessment: Understanding the root causes and triggers of substance use, including co-occurring mental health conditions.
  
  
• Tailored Recovery Planning: Developing a step-by-step roadmap for recovery that considers the individual’s unique needs and workplace responsibilities.
  
  
• Collaborative Approach: Working closely with employers, case managers, and health professionals to ensure seamless support and integration.
  
  
• Return-to-Work Support: Facilitating a structured and compassionate reintegration into the workplace, which supports long-term success.
  
  

“Tailored recovery planning allows treatment goals and workplace expectations to evolve together, supporting stability and gradual reintegration.

For example, a 45-year-old woman was referred after escalating alcohol use following the death of a family member. Her comprehensive assessment revealed a genetic predisposition to alcohol use disorder compounded by grief, insomnia, and performance-related anxiety. These factors were addressed through pharmacologic support, cognitive-behavioural strategies, and grief counselling. Working collaboratively with her employer, we adjusted her client-facing workload during early recovery to help rebuild confidence and capacity, turning her return-to-work process into an integral part of her treatment rather than a test of it.”

- Dr Andrea Grabovac

Breaking Down Stigma

National Addictions Awareness Week isn’t just about awareness of treatment - it’s also about changing the conversation. Stigma remains one of the greatest barriers to seeking help. Many individuals avoid accessing care because of fear of judgment or misunderstanding. By promoting awareness and education, we can foster environments where employees feel safe to come forward, seek support, and ultimately thrive.

Workplaces that embrace this perspective create a ripple effect - supporting employees’ recovery journeys, enhancing organizational culture, and contributing to healthier communities overall.

“As a psychiatrist, it is important to stress that substance use disorder (SUD) is a treatable medical condition rooted in neurobiology, not - as it has often been characterized - as failure of willpower.  The stigma that surrounds SUD often results in individuals delaying seeking treatment for fear of the consequences to their livelihood.  As with most other medical conditions, the longer a SUD is left untreated the more impairment it can cause and the harder it will be to eventually treat.

Workplaces can play an active role in reducing the stigma surrounding SUD through educational initiatives for their workforce, emphasizing the availability of addiction treatments offered through employee assistance programs, and by treating SUD with the same medical confidentiality, empathy, and seriousness as any other chronic health issue, like major depression or diabetes.  This compassionate, evidence-based approach is the most effective strategy for facilitating recovery, retaining valuable talent, and fostering a healthy workforce.”

- Dr Andrew Morgan

Looking Ahead: A Call to Action

As we observe National Addictions Awareness Week, it’s important to remember that recovery is a journey - and one that is most effective when individuals are supported at every step. Comprehensive assessments, individualized care plans, and trauma-informed approaches are not just clinical best practices - they are pathways to meaningful reintegration, personal growth, and workplace success.

At Medaca, we remain committed to supporting both employees and organizations through TeamCare SUD. Our multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists and clinical experts provide the knowledge, tools, and compassionate guidance needed to navigate substance use challenges and ensure successful outcomes for all involved.

National Addictions Awareness Week is more than a week on the calendar - it’s a reminder that education, early intervention, and support can change lives.