Webinar to Commerate ADA30: The ADA and IPS-Supported Employment: Improving the Working Lives of People with Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders

Special Webinar to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the ADA -- The statistics are staggering. According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 9.2 million adults are living with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. The Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Blog notes in its article “Working on Addiction in the Workplace" that over 22 million Americans are currently in recovery from alcohol and other drug use disorders. The article further states that more than 70% of individuals who actively use alcohol or drugs continue to function on the job. -- These individuals in recovery and their employers are often unaware of their rights and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).The ADA ensures that people with disabilities, including those with alcohol use disorder and substance use disorders, have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else in the workplace. This webinar will introduce how the ADA applies to addiction in three phases of employment: pre-offer, post-offer, and employment and use scenarios to discuss and illustrate the application of the ADA as it relates to alcohol, opioids, cocaine and marijuana. -- Moreover, Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is an evidence-based supported employment model that assists individuals with substance use disorders to find and maintain employment. This webinar will discuss the IPS model and share research on its effectiveness for people with serious mental illness and/or substance use disorders. To further highlight the importance of IPS, an individual with co-occurring disorders will share his story on how IPS helped him find employment and be successful at work. -- OBJECTIVES: Participant will: 1. Understand the definition of disability under ADA and its application to substance use disorder and recovery. + 2. Recognize how the ADA applies to people with substance use disorder and in recovery from drug and/or alcohol addiction. + 3. Discuss the questions and approaches that can be used during the three stages of employment (interview and application, post offer and pre-employment, and during employment). + 4. Understand the IPS supported employment model and how it is effectively used for people with serious mental illness and/or substance use disorders. + 5. Hear a personal story from an individual in recovery who successfully gained employment with IPS. --- GUEST SPEAKERS: - Barry Whaley is the Director of the Southeast ADA Center, a project of the Burton Blatt Institute, Syracuse University College of Law. - Pam Williamson is the Assistant Director of the Southeast ADA Center, a project of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University. - Jackie Pogue is a Research Associate and IPS Trainer at the IPS Employment Center.