Using the Reina trust and betrayal model as a framework for substance use disorder-supportive workplaces

Area of Science:

• Organizational Psychology
• Public Health
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• Substance use disorders (SUDs) significantly impact the workforce, necessitating effective workplace interventions.
• Current punitive approaches to SUDs in workplaces increase stigma and employee turnover.
• Workplaces are crucial for SUD prevention, treatment engagement, and sustained recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply the Reina Trust and Betrayal Model as a framework for managing SUDs in the workplace.
• To promote supportive accountability, trust, and recovery-oriented practices.
• To guide managerial behaviors balancing employee support with workplace safety and performance.

Main Methods:

• Integration of the Reina Trust and Betrayal Model with recovery-ready workplace guidance.
• Examination of the model's trust domains (contractual, communication, competence) in relation to SUD workplace events.
• Identification of managerial strategies for balancing support and performance expectations.

Main Results:

• The Reina framework facilitates trust maintenance through collaborative renegotiation and respectful communication.
• Strategies preserve professional identity during treatment and reintegration.
• Return to use is reframed as an opportunity for trust repair, not moral failure.

Conclusions:

• Aligning recovery-ready practices with Reina trust behaviors offers a pragmatic approach to SUDs.
• A trust-based strategy can reduce stigma, enhance retention, and improve workforce stability.
• This approach mitigates financial and operational costs associated with turnover while promoting humane responses.