Will being an ex-user help me?

The answer is ‘yes’ and ‘no’.

It is a statement of fact that many people who work in drug services are current users of drugs who have never sought or needed treatment. They have never declared their use nor is there any reason why they should unless it is causing them performance problems.

For people who have been or are still service users the situation is very different.

A number of years ago DrugScope suggested a two year rule – that people had to be two years clean before applying for jobs. This is now widely seen as discriminatory and DrugScope repudiates it in the strongest terms. However, many organisations still insist on it and this could cause a severe problem.

 For people who are currently stable on a methadone script, there is no logical reason why, given decent management support, there should be blocks to entering employment in the drugs and alcohol sector but they can expect severe problems.

Being someone who had a drugs problem may provide a lot of insight into what other people are going through but without a certain set of skills it won’t help.

These skills involve:

• unconditional positive regard,
• listening,
• problem solving,
• and empathy.

I am an ex-user – when should I start applying for jobs?

There is no right answer to this – when you feel confident that you can do a job well and handle the pressures involved. As there is no formal set of qualifications you might as well start applying now. However, just stating that you are an ex-user won’t be enough – you have to demonstrate that you have all of the skills in the person specification.

Getting experience and making contacts

Volunteering is a practical way of getting experience for full time work.  A number of organisations offer training schemes for volunteers – one of the most famous is the Blenheim project in London.

Many organisations outside the sector will have large numbers of clients who have drugs and alcohol problems – volunteering with them will provide a broader range of important experience – this is particularly true of ones that work with people who have mental health problems, offenders and the homeless.

User groups are set up and run by users for users. They often campaign for better treatment and carry out advocacy – generally, they are well linked into local decision making structures so they represent an excellent way of finding out what’s happening locally and meeting people. You can find out if there is one in your area by contacting our local Drugs and Alcohol Action team.

Getting knocked back

A key question to consider is how you handle getting knocked back – it would be naïve to expect to start getting interviews straight away.

The Alliance is a national organisation which exists to support people who are either in treatment or seeking help for drug dependency. It was set up and is run by people with direct experience of addiction management, reflecting the organisation’s core belief that when drug users and professionals work together as equals, it creates a powerful voice to help set high standards for drug treatment.

Starting up a user group Useful article in Drink and Drug News.

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