RECOVERY : Getting a Career Going Again : Ex-Drinkers, Drug Users Get Help

Chuck V. Murphy was a model corrections officer at New York’s notorious penitentiary on Riker’s Island. Smart, muscular and clean-cut, Murphy worked there for four years but, as a closet alcoholic, he struggled to stop drinking during his time off.

Recognizing his problem, Murphy quit the $33,000-a-year job and moved to Orange County, where he sought help for his addiction. That was five years ago and since then, a recovered Murphy found that while it was easy getting odd jobs--doorman, electrician, even bar tending--he couldn’t get a new career going.

“The hardest thing to do is getting over the stigma of being a recovered alcoholic,” he said. “I have to explain big chunks of time--empty segments of my life when I was not employed--to (prospective) employers. I was embarrassed filling out applications.”

Many recovering substance abusers face similar problems. But Murphy, 32, was lucky. Last month, with the help of a new program in Costa Mesa, Murphy found a job as warehouse supervisor at Groux Distribution Inc., a distributor of Snapple and other beverages.

At the center of the program, called Open to Recovery, is a nonprofit placement agency for recovering drug and alcohol abusers. The agency charges no fee for matching a company with one of its applicants. Since opening in mid-July, it has found Orange County jobs for nearly 100 former substance abusers, including Murphy.

“It’s absolutely critical that the individuals make an attempt to rejoin society through a career,” said Carolyn Carpenter, president and chief executive. “Work is so central in our society (because it gives) a sense of self-esteem and identity to everyone.”

Carpenter, a Newport Beach resident, is also a successful Costa Mesa business owner. She is president of Carpenter & Co.--a financial management firm for small business and affluent individuals--and in February she established Package Deal, a subcontractor that designs, develops and assembles packaging for Japanese camera maker Nikon, Pentel Pen and ICN Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Carpenter began Open to Recovery when her 33-year-old son finally obtained sobriety after about 15 years as an alcoholic and drug addict. She also discovered how greatly businesses are being hurt by chemical dependency among employees.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, substance abusers are five times more likely to file for worker compensation for illness and injuries, seven times more likely to have court-or dered wage deductions to repay overdue debts and 2.5 times more likely to have absences of eight days or more.

The chamber noted in a 1991 study, “Drug Abuse in the Workplace,” that substance abusers are three times more likely to be late for work or to call in sick and 3.6 times more likely to injure themselves or others at work. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that U.S. companies lose at least $150 billion annually in higher insurance costs, lost productivity and employee theft due to substance abuse.

Some experts applaud Carpenter’s effort to address a gap in support for recovering addicts who badly need to stay clean.

“Getting back to the workplace is not enough,” said Jeffrey E. Donnelly, program director of the Chemical Dependency Center at Hoag Memorial Hospital in Newport Beach.

“They need to have available to them an ongoing support system, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, or continuing care with the center that provided them treatment,” he said.

But jobs help provide financial independence, said Charles E. Mangan, clinical director of Sycamore House Recovery Home, an Orange halfway house for men recovering from chemical dependency.

“Drug dependency is a biological, psychological and social disorder and all three areas have to be addressed,” he said.

The general misconception about recovery is that it is a threshold through which substance abusers cross to return to a normal life, Mangan said. However, “there is no cure for drug addiction,” but it can be arrested, much like diabetes, he said.

“Recovery,” he added, “is not an event, but a lifelong process.”

Carpenter laid the foundation for the program three years ago, after her son, Bob, came out of a 30-day, $30,000 treatment for cocaine, heroin and alcohol addiction.

“I was floored when the staff at the treatment center said Bob has a 97% chance of relapsing within 90 days,” she said.

Carpenter considered the odds against her only son incomprehensible. She visited public libraries for some answers. She sought advice from other businesses and county mental health officials about limitations in the available community social services programs.

“It all boiled down to providing a support system that includes jobs, counseling and positive emotional support,” Carpenter said.

She started Open to Recovery with help from her youngest daughter, Cristina Murillo, 28, using her own savings and donations from wealthy patrons in Southern California. During the initial three-year development, the program received about $50,000 in cash, about $30,000 worth of office furniture and a personal computer.

Other business people, like Manny S. Marquez Jr., are pitching in to help finance the program.

Marquez, a former alcoholic and drug addict who owned a personalized calendar company in Orange, said he revived his calendar business last month to use it to help fund the agency’s operations and expansion. Marquez, a full-time volunteer who directs the agency’s fund-raising and product marketing efforts, said he’s turning over the proceeds from the calendar sales to the agency.

“I still get some (income) periodically from my calendar business and I’ve obtained a loan from my family, which I plan to pay back once I get back on my feet,” Marquez said. “I imagine I’ll be back in the work force full time a year from now.”

Open to Recovery also has a retail division--called Gifted--that develops and markets products, such as calendars and 14-karat gold key-shaped pendants that Carpenter calls “The Destiny Key.”

With help from chemical dependency counselors, Carpenter created a program to closely monitor the progress of her recovering clients in the workplace. This includes continued testing for drugs and alcohol as well as a monthly check with employers and employees as to the success of the program.

Meanwhile, Open to Recovery conducts free weekly forums on job stress and sessions on relapse prevention at its Costa Mesa offices.

“The relationship continues so long as the employees are associated with us through our forums,” Carpenter said.

In addition to four full-time volunteers, the agency is staffed by five college interns who interview recovering addicts for the program and who match employers with the applicants’ skills. Program participants must show a commitment to sobriety by:

- Providing a letter of recommendation from a program sponsor, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.

- Agreeing to be tested randomly by a designated laboratory.

- Submitting to a full background check, which includes criminal, credit and Department of Motor Vehicles history.

- Completing a confidential questionnaire about their drug or alcohol history, relapse history and detoxification and treatment centers that they’ve gone through.

“We need to be able to verify their past because the program is about honesty,” Carpenter said. “The companies that participate in our program will rely on our integrity to provide them with the best possible candidates for employment.”

Carpenter, who will appear on television’s “Geraldo” show Nov. 2, said she plans to open a satellite office in Los Angeles later this year and expand to Phoenix and Las Vegas next year. Paul Petersen, the former child actor known for his role as Donna Reed’s son, Jeff, on “The Donna Reed Show,” will lead the agency’s effort in Los Angeles County.

Petersen, a Yale graduate who went on

to write several spy novels, is writing his 16th book--”A Minor Consideration”--which looks into the impact of Hollywood on the lives of child stars. He runs a nonprofit organization, also called A Minor Consideration, which assists former child actors who want to return to a normal life after a bout of depression or drug and alcohol abuse. They include Jay North of “Dennis the Menace” fame and Lisa Loring, who played Wednesday in the TV hit series “The Addams Family.”

“What I’m hoping is that 90 days down the road, we’ll have a real program for recovering actors under the umbrella of Open to Recovery,” he said in a recent telephone interview.

Carpenter funds the agency’s work through donations and profits from her two businesses. She said 40% of the program’s $5,000 monthly costs comes out of her own pocket. The rest is donated by patrons in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

“Addiction strikes the most talented and intelligent among us,” Carpenter said. “Given the chance, they will be the most productive members of our society.”

And a second chance is just what recovering addicts like Chuck Murphy need. At Groux Distribution in Santa Ana, Murphy’s supervisors consider him one of the company’s best hires this year.

“He’s a very hard worker,” said Lori O’Dell, personnel manager. “He’s very conscientious, very honest, very prompt, very pleasant to be around and he gets along with everyone.”

Other companies that have hired Open to Recovery participants include the local offices of Telecom Corp., a diversified telecommunications manufacturer in Dallas, and Kinney Shoes Corp.

Only two out of the nearly 100 placements didn’t work out, said James J. Gallagher, director of corporate fund raising at Open to Recovery.

Vital Statistics

Up to 40% of industrial deaths and 47% of industrial injuries can be linked to drug or alcohol abuse.

Substance abusers have absenteeism rates three to eight times higher than other employees and incur medical costs three times the average of other employees.

Between 10% and 23% of all workers use drugs while on the job.

Employee attitudes: 97% say drug testing at work is appropriate under some circumstances; 85% say some form of drug testing helps deter drug abuse; 82% support disciplinary actions against workers violating drug abuse policies.

According to a 1-(800) COCAINE survey, 40% of the callers said they earned less than $25,000 per year, yet used one to 32 grams a week at an average cost of $640 a week, or $33,280 a year.

The survey also indicated that 48% sold or distributed drugs at work to support their habit because it was the safest place to sell drugs, and 38% had stolen money or property to pay for their drug use.

Sources: American Management Assn.; National Institute on Drug Abuse National Household Survey on Drug Abuse; Drug Use is Life Abuse

Researched by DALLAS M. JACKSON / Los Angeles Times

At a Glance: Open to Recovery

Corporate headquarters: Costa Mesa.

Founded: July, 1989; opened doors to clients, July, 1992.

History:

July, 1989 to July, 1992 -- Research and development of drug and alcohol abuse, test marketed Open to Recovery project and wrote fund-raising proposals.

July, 1992 -- Opened doors to the public and placed first applicant shortly thereafter.

Corporate officers: Carolyn Carpenter, president, chief executive; Cristina Murillo, vice president, executive director.

Founder: Carolyn Carpenter.

Nature of business: Broad-based, multipurpose organization serving the needs of recovering alcoholics and addicts with an emphasis on employment.

Services: Permanent and temporary job placement; implements random and voluntary drug testing; assists in resume design, job counseling and interviewing tips; employee referrals to inpatient rehabilitation facilities, outpatient services and after-care programs including transitional housing, counseling and support groups; assists employers in developing and implementing formal substance abuse policies.

Client list: Includes Kinney’s Shoes, Mission Viejo; United Party Rentals, Costa Mesa; Telecom Inc., Huntington Beach.

Volunteers: Nine full-time volunteers. Open to Recovery is approved by the courts for alternative sentencing, so it has a steady stream of court-required community service volunteers.

Researched by DALLAS M. JACKSON / Los Angeles Times

Warning Signs

According to the experts, there is no single pattern that definitively shows someone is on drugs, but there are some tips.

In General

Chronic red eyes, sore throat, dry cough.

Wholesale changes in friends.

Lying, especially regarding whereabouts.

Deteriorating relations with family.

Wild mood swings, hostility, abusive behavior, stealing.

Major changes in eating or sleeping patterns.

At Work

Chronic absenteeism, tardiness, abuse of breaks.

Lack of alertness, diminished coordination, memory lapses.

Impaired decision-making, judgment; procrastination.

Inability to stay on a task, inattention to details.

Mood swings, anger, apathy.

Avoidance of co-workers, very sensitive to criticism.

If you suspect someone is using drugs, or if you are an abuser, consult a support group or phone the national drug line at (800) 662-4357. The Spanish-language line is (800) 662-9832.

If the person you suspect of using drugs is a co-worker or employee, don’t try to diagnose the problem. Instead refer the employee to the personnel department or an employee assistance program. Sources: Partnership for a Drug-Free America; Open to Recovery

Researched by DALLAS M. JACKSON / Los Angeles Times

Drugs and Work More than two-thirds of all drug abusers manage to hold down a job. But results from a survey by the American Management Assn. indicate that drug abuse is not a situation that employers will tolerate. Thirty-five percent of companies report they dismiss employees who test positive, and less than 1% of the companies surveyed said they would hire applicants who test positive, even on a probationary basis.

Testing for Drugs Since 1987, the number of companies that test for drugs has more than tripled. 1987 21.5% 1988 36.5% 1989 48.0% 1990 51.5% 1991 63.0% 1992 74.5% Employment Status of Drug Abusers Two in three drug abusers are in the workplace. Employed 68% Students 12% Unemployed 10% Homemakers 5% Other 5% Drug Policies Drug-testing is rarely an isolated policy in fighting drug use by employees. More than half of the companies that do drug testing combine testing with other programs. Testing with other programs: 57.2% Testing: no programs 6.5% No tests, no programs: 12.3% Offers programs, but does not test: 24.0% Testing Positive The percentage of applicants and employees who test positive for drugs has dropped significantly over the past three years. Experts attribute the drop to a large testing pool, the deterrent effect of testing, and the result of education programs.

1989 1980 1991 Employees 8.1% 4.2% 2.7% Applicants 11.4% 5.8% 4.6%

Sources: American Management Assn.; National Institute on Drug Abuse National Household Survey on Drug Abuse; Drug Use is Life Abuse Researched by DALLAS M. JACKSON/Los Angeles Times