Many communities face a crisis stemming from widespread substance misuse, including a dramatic increase in the misuse of opioid painkillers and illicit opioids in the past two decades. In response, organizations have developed a broad range of programs and services to address the health, economic success, and broader well-being of individuals with substance use disorders. In particular, policymakers and program administrators are increasingly interested in programs that integrate substance use disorder treatment and recovery with employment services, with the aim of sustaining people’s recovery while improving their economic success.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in the spring of 2020, states and localities instituted stay-at-home orders and shutdowns of nonessential businesses. These programs that combined substance use disorder treatment and recovery with employment services, and served an already vulnerable population, then faced new service-delivery challenges, including an unprecedented shift to virtual services. At the same time, they had to respond to increased substance misuse and overdoses and dramatic increases in unemployment.

This brief discusses the operational experiences of seven such programs in the initial months of the COVID-19 crisis.

It will be important to assess how the programs’ adaptations influence the effectiveness of the services. Treatment and recovery services relied heavily on in-person interactions before the pandemic, and there is limited information on whether they can be as effective in a virtual environment. Moreover, the vulnerable populations served by these programs, primarily those facing a range of barriers to employment, are most likely to lack access to the technology and skills needed to engage fully in virtual services.  Programs will have to continue to gauge whether they can provide quality treatment and employment services under these conditions, and when further adjustments and resources are needed to do so.

Read the full article about employment service programs and substance use by Karin Martinson and Susan Scrivener at MDRC.