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National Recovery Month · Free Resource 2026 Workplace Recovery Resource Kit

National Recovery Month Workplace Hub

Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults has a substance use disorder, and the majority of them are employed. Here’s what that means for HR, plus a free guide covering manager conversations, EAP referrals, and the ADA and FMLA basics.

Download the Free Kit

A Working Kit, Not a Policy Poster

Most companies have a substance use policy. Far fewer have thought about what happens after someone discloses, returns from leave, or manages recovery while doing the job well. This kit is built for the people who have to handle that in real conversations, not just cite the policy.

Word-for-word manager scripts for the conversation most supervisors dread, plus what never to say.
A printable EAP resource page with 988, SAMHSA, findtreatment.gov, and space for your own helpline number.
ADA and FMLA basics in plain language, including the current-use versus recovery distinction that trips up most managers.
DOT return-to-duty notes and a return-to-work framework covering the first ninety days.
A person-first language table you can lift straight into your handbook and training.

Four sections. One kit. Written for HR, EHS, and operations leaders who need something they can actually use.

Get Your Free Copy

Fill out the form and we’ll send the 2026 Workplace Recovery Resource Kit straight to your inbox.

Free download. No cost, no obligation, no sales call required.

Sneak Peek

What’s Inside the Kit

The 2026 Workplace Recovery Resource Kit is a four-section walkthrough written for the people who have to handle this in real conversations, not just cite the policy.

Section 1 · Understand

Understanding Recovery in the Workplace

What substance use disorder actually is, why most people who have it are employed, and a person-first language guide you can lift straight into your handbook.

Section 2 · Support

The Manager’s Support Guide

Word-for-word scripts for the conversation most supervisors dread, what to never say, a five-minute prep checklist, and a separate protocol for when someone appears impaired on site.

Section 3 · Connect

EAP Resources

988, the SAMHSA National Helpline, and findtreatment.gov in one place, with blank fields for your own EAP details. Built as a standalone page you can print and post.

Section 4 · Comply

Employer Obligations

Plain-language ADA and FMLA basics, the current-use versus recovery distinction that trips up most managers, DOT return-to-duty notes, and a return-to-work framework for the first ninety days.

Four sections. One kit. Built to be used in the conversation, not filed with the policy.

Crisis & Treatment Resources

Need Help Right Now?

If you or someone you work with needs support today, these resources are free, confidential, and available around the clock. You do not need insurance, a diagnosis, or permission from your employer to use them.

More free employer resources

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988. Free, confidential, 24/7.

Call or text 988

SAMHSA National Helpline

1-800-662-HELP (4357). Treatment referral, 24/7/365, no insurance required.

Call 1-800-662-4357

FindTreatment.gov

Search facilities by location, care level, and sliding-scale payment.

Search treatment options

National Recovery Month

SAMHSA’s official observance and campaign materials.

View SAMHSA resources

Registration

Download the Free 2026 Workplace Recovery Resource Kit

Why HR and EHS Teams Are Downloading This

Word-for-word manager scripts, not a policy template you have to translate
The ADA distinction between current use and recovery, explained once and clearly
A printable EAP resource page with space for your own helpline number
DOT return-to-duty and reasonable suspicion guidance for safety-sensitive roles
A person-first language table you can copy into your handbook and training
A return-to-work framework covering the first ninety days
Sourced to SAMHSA, the ADA, and FMLA guidance

A Quick Reality Check

Recovery is possible, and a great many people are living it while holding jobs, meeting deadlines, and contributing to teams that have no idea. A workplace where disclosure feels dangerous is a workplace where people manage alone, delay seeking help, or leave. This kit helps you close that gap before the next conversation happens.

Send Me the Kit

Get the 2026 Workplace Recovery Resource Kit delivered straight to your inbox.

Free download. No cost, no obligation, no sales call required.

From the Atlantic Training Resource Desk

National Recovery Month Workplace Hub: Frequently Asked Questions

What is National Recovery Month?

National Recovery Month is an annual observance held every September by SAMHSA to celebrate people in recovery from substance use and mental health disorders and to reduce the stigma surrounding treatment. For employers, it is a practical prompt to review whether your EAP, policies, and manager training actually support employees who are struggling. Most organizations discover during that review that the policy exists but nobody can find it, the EAP is unused rather than unavailable, and supervisors have had no preparation for the conversation they are most likely to have.

Are employees in recovery from substance use disorder protected under the ADA?

Generally yes. The Americans with Disabilities Act protects employees who are in recovery and no longer engaging in illegal drug use, those participating in or who have completed a supervised rehabilitation program, and employees with alcohol use disorder. Current illegal drug use is not protected, and that distinction is the one employers most often get wrong. Employers may still prohibit drug and alcohol use at work, require that employees not be under the influence on the job, and hold everyone to the same performance and conduct standards. What they generally cannot do is treat someone adversely because of a past substance use disorder or a history of treatment. This is a summary, not legal advice.

Can an employee take FMLA leave for substance use treatment?

Yes, in many cases. Absence for substance use disorder treatment may qualify as a serious health condition under FMLA when it involves inpatient care or continuing treatment by a health care provider. Absence caused by the substance use itself, rather than by treatment, generally does not qualify. Eligible employees may also take FMLA leave to care for a spouse, child, or parent receiving treatment. FMLA does not override an established policy applied consistently to all employees, though the word doing the work there is consistently. Note that FMLA leave can end while an ADA accommodation obligation continues.

What should a manager say to an employee they think is struggling with substance use?

Address observable job performance, never a suspected diagnosis. Name specific incidents with dates, state what the job requires, ask one open question, then listen. A workable opening sounds like: “You’ve come in after start time six times this month, and the pre-shift inspection didn’t get logged on the 14th. What’s going on?” Then stop talking. Mention the EAP as available information rather than instruction. Managers should not ask whether someone is using, suggest treatment, or attempt to diagnose anything. If the employee appears impaired at that moment, this is a safety situation instead: remove them from safety-sensitive duty, do not let them drive, and follow your written policy.

What is the SAMHSA National Helpline and is it free?

The SAMHSA National Helpline is 1-800-662-HELP (4357). It is a free, confidential treatment referral and information service available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in English and Spanish. No insurance is required, and callers are not required to provide personal identifying information. Staff refer callers to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community organizations, and for callers without insurance or who are underinsured, to state-funded programs and facilities that charge on a sliding scale. TTY is available at 1-800-487-4889. This is the number to give an employee who assumes they cannot afford help.

Most companies have a policy. Far fewer have a plan for what happens after.

Don’t wait for a disclosure to figure out what an employee can expect. Get the free 2026 Workplace Recovery Resource Kit every HR, EHS, and operations leader should have on hand before they need it.

Scripts. Referrals. ADA and FMLA basics. One kit.