LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – Experts at the Vermilion Behavioral Health Systems believe working while in rehab is possible, depending on the individual.  

Amy Apperson, says the most important thing is ensuring that the individual seeking rehab learns better coping mechanisms and has the right resources provided to them  “If a person feels that this job is a love of theirs and they’re dedicated to it and they want to go back to it, we always encourage them to reach out to us because we see it a lot and have a lot of respect for people that decide to keep working in that job,” says Apperson.

Returning to work while dealing with rehabilitation and treatment is a possibility. Director of Admissions at Vermilion, Travis St. Julien explains it is dependent on the individual seeking treatment and their specific situation to suggest working during treatment. “It is an individualized treatment. So if it is work that is contributing to your addiction or your mental health disorder, we would take into consideration, would they get the full benefit of treatment if they continue to work with the things that brought them into the facility,” questions St. Julien.

“Everyone suffers in some way whether it’s very minor. It could be stress, they suffer from anxiety, depression. We want to break the stigma of that. People can function in their working career with mental health with the right support, the correct treatment, and resources in our communities,” says Apperson.