Working under the influence

ALCOHOLISM AT THE WORKPLACE From a supervisory point of view, I would develop a method of addressing the work under influence problems Clark undergoes and look for ways of encouraging her to seek help with the problem. According to Schulte et al. (2014), a good point to begin would be getting in contact with a counselor if this is possible, to have a discussion of the observations made in Clark of working under influence and alerting the counselor, that Clark is in need of help. Having informed the counselor about the observations, the counselor can put in place strategies for approaching Clark with an aim of giving her advice on methods for curtailing the bad habit of working under the influence.
Schulte et al. (2014) further intimate that after notification to the counselor, the next step would be gathering the known concerns raised by the employees and the patient with respect to the conduct of Clark while on duty. These documentations would assist in mapping out potential issues for discussing with Clark against the expected conduct of employees as expressly stipulated in the employee guide and regulations. Here there will be documentation of specific mistakes in the performance of Clark while at work that raise concerns. I will seek the counselor’s help in proofing the documentation that concerns the conduct of Clark at work. Having the counselor go through the documentation would help equip the supervisor with material facts and complaints sequence against Clark. This arrangement would allow for flexibility in dealing with the misconduct in the case any of us approaches Clark for mentioning the mistakes and accusations leveled against her.
In the case of Clark, intervention may also be another source of creating flexibility into the issue. In this case, there could be a session scheduled with Clark with the very important people in her life would be present such as fellow colleagues, the clergy, close friends and her spouse. This session has to go on through the guidance of a well-trained professional, in this case, a counselor. In this session, these important people in Clark’s life would directly inform Clark how her working under the influence affects them and what how it affects their co-existence. This method could best help Clark to avoid going into denial of her unacceptable and antisocial demeanor while at work.
If this method leads to acceptance of the malpractice, it can be a very effective tool for having Clark acknowledges that she has a problem, which she needs to drop, and this may enable her to seek help. It is however very crucial for the steering of this system of intervention to be not by an amateur but a properly trained individual. Smook et al. (2014) suggest that the probability of this system backfiring may prospectively be very high because it has the potential of being a very emotional event that may easily degenerate into a confrontation when not well executed. Without the help of a trained knowledgeable facilitator, this process could backfire and as such even the professional could ask for efficient techniques of intervening in such situations.
On the issue of sharing documentation with Clark, the intervention method would be the best option where the concerned parties would directly address her. Another method of sharing documentation would be dealing with her on a personal basis; I would show her the documented concern about her conduct reported by the patient. This tactic would be a very powerful way of passing the information to her. From the knowledge gathered from Ames & Bennett (2011), the documented concerns of the fellow employees would not be shared to avoid causing strained working relationships with the colleagues because of feeling victimized.
References
Ames, G. M., & Bennett, J. B. (2011). Prevention Interventions Of Alcohol Problems In The Workplace: A Review And Guiding Framework. Alcohol Research & Health, 34(2), 175-187.
Schulte, B., Odonnell, A. J., Kastner, S., Schmidt, C. S., Schäfer, I., Reimer, J., & Agabio, R. (2014). Alcohol Screening And Brief Intervention In Workplace Settings And Social Services: A Comparison Of Literature. Frontiers In Psychiatry, 51-9. Doi: 10. 3389/Fpsyt. 2014. 00131
Smook, B., Ubbink, M., Ryke, E., & Strydom, H. (2014). Substance Abuse, Dependence And The Workplace: A Literature Overview. Social Work / Maatskaplike Werk, 50(1), 59.