A background check is pretty standard with many hiring processes these days and consists of the compiling of criminal records, commercial records and financial records of an individual.  Sometimes included in this is your employment and personal references check as well.  To almost anyone, this sounds terrible!  But to someone who is in recovery and may have a somewhat checkered past, this sounds like the kiss of death.  Not so fast – hang with us here.

Required Background Checks

Depending on your State and the nature of the business, background checks may be required by law.   For example, in a business that deals with children or seniors, Federal law requires background checks on all employees and volunteers.  Also, if the employee will be doing any type of driving for the business, their driving history and record is pretty relevant and it impacts the company’s insurance premiums. Also, due to the rise in negligence lawsuits, many employers are now requiring background checks as standard fare.   Finally, employers want to be sure that the information given to them by the applicants is actually true and accurate.  With many employers reporting that up to 30% of applicants falsify information on their applications and resumes, backgrounds checks can screen out the less than scrupulous of the bunch.

Background Checks with Addiction Jobs

So, this still all sounds kind of bleak, right?  Wrong, not if you are looking for employment in the substance abuse field and meet the right “criteria”.  Both employers and lawmakers have come to realize that many who seek employment in this field are in recovery themselves and are in a unique position to help those who are suffering from active addiction.  That being said, those potential job candidates who are in recovery were once in active addiction as well and create some super hot messes of their lives.  These messes may include financial ruin, lost jobs, felony drug charges (and convictions), and the list goes on.  What matters most is what they have been doing in the most recent past and what they are doing now.  Potential employers are looking for a new pattern of stability and reliability in you and you need to be able to show that.  The absolute #1 most important thing you can do when applying for jobs if you are in this position, is to be 100% honest.  You will be respected for it beyond measure.  And if you are not, that job likely wasn’t the right fit for you.