Counties Manukau Health has identified educational and vocational support for AOD service users as an area for further action in its Alcohol and other Drug (AOD) Action Plan (2009 – 2014).

In 2012, the AOD Provider Collaborative commissioned a research project to:

• Review current literature on vocational support,
• Identify any vocational support being offered in Counties Manukau,
• Make recommendations for further action.

The final project report, Addiction and Vocational Support (February 2013), noted that:

"employment is strongly associated with well-being, social inclusion and recovery...

...people in recovery from addiction often face significant barriers to employment that are experienced at both the individual and systemic levels. Effective interventions address both levels."

While findings indicated that there is no single, effective approach to providing employment support and no single service likely to meet all needs, the report makes a number of recommendations for possible ways forward.

A report on literature findings for vocational support was presented in August 2012.
A second report - detailing vocational support options available to AOD treatment consumers living in Counties Manukau - was presented in early December 2012. (Both reports are available via Counties Manukau Health)