More and more employers are cracking down and expecting their employees to be drug-free. Maybe it’s the fact that the economy is difficult and many employers are looking to tighten their belts. Perhaps it’s due to the ongoing conversation about whether or not those who receive cash aid from the government should be subjected to drug tests. Whatever the reason, when employees fail, it can cause a host of problems for everyone involved.

How do you handle it when one of your employees fails a drug test?

The Boss

You randomly choose employees to get drug tested or just make a blanket announcement that everyone will need to submit a test. When you get the results back you find that one – or more – of your employees has tested positive for an illicit substance. What do you do?

• Know your options. If you own your own business, you may have a bit more freedom, but it’s still important to know the stipulations of your insurance and the contracts you have legally entered into with your employees. For those who work for large companies, know the ins and outs of company policy on how to move forward with a positive drug test.
• Talk to the employee. A personal discussion is far better than allowing the information to leak, so the sooner you talk to your employee, the better. If you must fire them, a private discussion at the end of the day is the best choice. If you can offer them treatment, gather together the information that you and they will need if they agree to accept help.
• Stage an intervention. If you don’t have the resources to provide drug treatment to your employee, you can encourage them to get the help they need by staging a workplace intervention.
• Set an example. No matter what you choose to do, it will set an example for other employees. If the employee is fired or chooses to quit rather than go to drug rehab, it’s important that you have a workplace meeting to address the issue. There may be some misunderstandings or anger about the incident, so it’s a good idea to address them before they get out of hand.

Working Together to Get Drug Treatment

While an intervention is a good way to help your employee to understand the serious risks that they are taking with their health and the safety of their coworkers, you can offer or present the idea of drug rehab to them privately. Call us now for a brochure or information packet about The Orchid and help your employee to get back on track so they can get back to work.

Nile Rodgers is not a household name, but he is the man behind a number of musical acts and performance groups that are some of the most well-known in American culture and around the world. A prominent producer in the 1970s and 1980s, Rodgers played a big part in creating the pop music that dominates the airwaves today. Working with acts including Diana Ross, David Bowie, Madonna, Grace Jones and others, Rodgers has recently written a memoir called Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco, and Destiny that talks about his experiences with these stars – and with drug addiction.

At 59 years old, Rodgers is a survivor of both cancer and drug addiction. He has been clean and sober for more than 17 years now and though he has no thought of relapse and fully admits that addiction takes and destroys lives, he also says that he would never tell another person not to abuse drugs.

Says Rodgers: “It’s hard for me because I’m not judgmental of other people when it comes to drugs, because to be honest with you, I loved it. I didn’t quit because I didn’t love it, I quit because it was killing me and it impaired my ability to do something that I loved even more [producing and playing music]. So I don’t really want to be a hypocrite. I would never tell a person not to do drugs, because people clean it up or they don’t. They [get help] when they’re ready to do it.”

Even close friends who are clearly struggling with drug addiction – friends like Sly Stone – do not make Rodgers feel that there is any need to intervene.

Rodgers says: “When I look at Sly, I just see the great musical genius that I absolutely love and adore. And the fact that he has chosen this path near the end of his life, and unfortunately he’s been in this situation for a long time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen him and hung out with him and wanted to play, and unfortunately he was unable to do that, but he chose that. And I got to respect the fact that. That’s his life.”

What do you think? Is it important to take a stand and voice your concerns when you see someone you care about dying of drug addiction and/ or alcoholism? Is it your responsibility to step in or is it better to provide the addict or alcoholic with ongoing – if somewhat distanced – friendship? Leave us a comment and let us know your opinion.

One mother, Julia Saker, was so intent on stopping her daughter, Tabitha, from buying drugs
that she physically restrained her. Unfortunately for her, this led to charges and, ultimately, a jail sentence of 12 months for false imprisonment of her daughter.

The mother wasn’t alone in her cause, determination and crime. The daughter’s boyfriend also admitted to false imprisonment of the daughter and he received 18 months in jail as a result.

It seems that the Julia and Tabitha’s boyfriend were trying to stop Tabitha from climbing out of a window at home with the intention of going to meet a drug dealer who was waiting for her outside. To keep her in the house, they tied her up with tape and pushed a sock in her mouth. What they didn’t know is that Tabitha had already called for emergency help and the whole incident was heard by the operator and caught on tape. Police were sent to the scene and the two were arrested immediately.

When the word spread about Julia’s arrest and jailing, people were outraged. Here was a mother doing everything she could to help her daughter fight drug addiction and stop getting high and while the specifics of her methods may seem a little harsh, it’s a life or death situation. What’s a mother supposed to do?

Julia’s lawyers may be appealing the decision. It’s clear that her motive was not malicious even if the judge finds fault in her actions, and the hope is that the sentence will be lessened as a result.

What do you think? Should Julia have gotten such a stiff sentence for trying to help her daughter? Do you think she should have had to suffer a harsher penalty for binding her daughter as she did?

It’s a difficult spot for a parent to be in: you see your child making life threatening choices and you know that he or she is about to leave to go get more drugs and potentially get into an accident or overdose as a result. Do you stand by and let it happen? Do you step in and take a stand? What if your child denies you, blows you off and walks out? In general, the best way to handle this situation is an intervention and an offer of drug rehab. If your child is over the age of 18 and still refuses to get help, it’s time to cut ties. You can’t stay and enable them. It’s far better for them to go out into the world and suffer the consequences of their addiction. It’s the only way that they’ll get the treatment they need.

If you would like to speak to someone about drug rehab for a woman you care about, contact us at The Orchid today. We can help.

There are no shortage of moms out there who think that it’s okay if their underage children drink as long as they do it at home. Parents who hope to protect their children by keeping them at home and allowing them to drink, however, are risking serious legal repercussions. When you opt to allow underage drinking parties at your home, you increase the risk of arrest and conviction exponentially.

Angela Marie Merritt, 38, was one mother who decided to test this idea. She hosted an underage drinking party in her home, and about 15 kids under the legal drinking age showed up. Thirteen of those kids were given citations for underage possession of alcohol. Their blood levels ranged from .02 percent to .082 percent, and six were under the age of 18.

Merritt was arrested and pleaded not guilty to multiple misdemeanor charges of endangering the welfare of children. Merritt told deputies that she “was only providing a safe place for the students to party.”

Why Some Parents Think It’s Okay to Allow Underage Kids to Drink at Home

Many parents believe that it’s perfectly acceptable to allow kids under the legal drinking age to drink at home. They say that they’re going to drink no matter what the rules are and that, to protect them, they allow them to drink at home and invite their friends over. They argue that teens who have adult supervision won’t engage in other drug abuse activities or make poor choices like having unprotected sex that are common among teens under the influence. If they are at home and friends are allowed to stay over, no one will be drinking and driving, one of the biggest causes of death for teens.

The Evidence Against Allowing Kids to Drink

Research shows that the earlier that kids take their first drink and begin drinking regularly, the more likely they are to develop a lifelong struggle with alcohol addiction. Environmental access to drugs and alcohol can also contribute to the development of an addiction: if teens have constant access to alcohol and the atmosphere says that it’s not only acceptable but encouraged, it’s more likely that they will drink more and more often, which also encourages a physical and psychological dependence.

Rules provide structure for kids, and letting them know that there are other ways to have a good time and relax with their friends will encourage them to take part in sports, extracurricular activities and hobbies rather than indulge in self destructive behavior.

What do you think? Is it okay for teens to drink if they are supervised by a parent? Should parents be allowed to decide how they want to raise their children without fear of legal repercussions?

Rumor has it that Whitney Houston might be staging an intervention for her daughter with ex-husband Bobby Brown, Bobbi Kristina. The 17-year-old girl has had a few happy snaps taken of her partying hard and the word is that these pics have Houston a little concerned that her little girl might be following in her own footsteps. Some are saying that Houston has hired a drug counselor to talk to Bobbi Kristina, but Houston and her representatives are denying these reports.

Houston reps told E! Online: “There is no truth to the reports about Bobby and Whitney staging an intervention with their daughter.”

If Houston does have an intervention for her daughter, it wouldn’t be the first in the family. It has been reported that Houston only managed to kick her own crack addiction and marijuana addiction when her own mother set up an intervention.

If your loved one is living with heroin addiction, alcoholism, prescription drug addiction or addiction to multiple drugs, Orchid Recovery Center can help. We offer drug addiction treatment for women here in Palm Springs, Florida. Call now.

Staging an Intervention for Your Loved One

Staging an intervention is an excellent way to reach out to the woman you care about who is living with drug and alcohol addiction. Gathering together interested family members and close friends, all with stories about how her addiction has hurt them, will help your loved one to see just how serious her addiction has grown. The key is to immediately follow these anecdotes with an offer of immediate drug and alcohol rehab. Letting your loved one know that her continued addiction will not be tolerated but that help is available can be the push that she needs to make the right decision and follow through.

Intervention Tips

When you care about an addict or alcoholic, you feel heavily invested in whether or not he or she chooses to accept treatment at the end of an intervention. Though there are no guarantees, here are a few tips to help you create the most effective intervention possible:

• · Consider hiring a professional interventionist. A professional interventionist can take the pressure off you and provide an objective party to an otherwise emotional event – and keep everything under control as much as possible.

• · Plan what you’ll say ahead of time. Practice if you like. Before the actual intervention, you and the others who will be participating in the intervention should meet to discuss who will say what and when.

• · Pack a bag for treatment in case your loved one agrees to accept help. It’s important that she leave immediately for treatment. Taking time to pack only opens the door to a change of heart.

· Secure a spot for your loved one in treatment well before the intervention. If you like, the drug rehab you choose can provide you with a professional interventionist to assist you.

Orchid Recovery Center can provide you with a professional interventionist to assist you in staging an intervention for your loved one and give your loved one the drug addiction treatment she needs. Contact us today to find out more.