About This Program
Healthcare workers, including nurses, physicians, pharmacists, dentists, anesthetists, and other clinical professionals, face a unique constellation of risk factors for addiction that sets them apart from the general population. Direct access to controlled substances, intimate knowledge of drug effects, the emotional toll of caregiving for the sick and dying, chronic workplace stress, and the physical demands of healthcare work all contribute to rates of substance use disorder that match or exceed those of the general population. At Trust SoCal, our JCAHO-accredited treatment center in Fountain Valley, California, we provide specialized addiction treatment for healthcare professionals that addresses these unique risk factors while protecting licensure and career.
Access is one of the most significant risk factors for healthcare worker addiction. Nurses, anesthesiologists, and pharmacists work daily with the most potent controlled substances available, and diversion, the unauthorized taking of medications from the workplace, is a well-documented pathway to addiction in healthcare settings. The progression from curiosity or self-treatment of a workplace injury to full-blown dependence on fentanyl, propofol, or diverted opioids can be devastatingly rapid. Our clinical team understands the pharmacology of these substances at a professional level and can engage healthcare workers in treatment discussions without the need to simplify the clinical picture.
Licensing concerns represent the greatest barrier to treatment for most healthcare professionals. The fear that seeking help will result in loss of licensure, career destruction, and public reporting keeps countless nurses, doctors, and pharmacists suffering in silence. In reality, most state licensing boards and professional recovery programs view voluntary treatment far more favorably than impaired practice discovered through an incident. Trust SoCal has experience working with state professional recovery programs, licensing boards, and monitoring organizations to help healthcare workers navigate the process of getting help while protecting their professional standing.
The culture of healthcare creates additional challenges. Healthcare workers are trained to be caregivers, not care receivers. The shift from provider to patient can be profoundly disorienting, especially when the treatment involves the same clinical concepts they use professionally. Our program creates a therapeutic environment where healthcare workers can set aside their professional identity and engage in treatment as a whole person, not as a clinician analyzing their own care. Peer groups with other healthcare professionals provide a space where the specific stressors and shame of healthcare worker addiction can be openly discussed. Call Trust SoCal today at (949) 280-8360 to speak confidentially about treatment options at our Fountain Valley facility.
