• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

FHE Health | Inpatient Rehab & Mental Health Facility in Florida Homepage

Drug, Alcohol and Mental Health Treatment

ContactCareers

Call for Immediate Help (833) 596-3502

MENUMENU
  • About
        • About FHE Rehab
          • About FHE Health
          • Our Staff
          • Locations We Serve
          • Testimonials
        • Our Campus
          • Gallery
          • Our Videos
          • The Health and Wellness Center at FHE Health
        • Our Locations
          • Alcohol Rehab
          • Detox Center
          • Drug Rehab
          • Mental Health Center
          • Outpatient Rehab
        • Careers at FHE Health
          • Employment Opportunities
        • Our Expertise
          • Accreditations
          • Educational Opportunities
          • Community Impact Award
          • First Responder Families Podcast
          • First Responder Paws
          • Education Scholarship
  • Addiction
        • Treatment Programs
          • Treatment Program Overview
          • Alcohol Addiction
          • Drug Addiction Treatment
          • Behavioral Addiction
        • Levels of Care
          • Continuum of Care
          • Addiction Detox
          • Inpatient Addiction Treatment
          • Outpatient Addiction Treatment
        • What We Treat
          • Alcoholism
          • Amphetamines
          • Benzodiazepines
          • Cocaine
          • Heroin
          • Opioids
          • Sedative
  • Mental Health
        • Mental Health Rehab
          • Mental Health Rehab
          • Onsite Psychiatric Care
          • Dual Diagnosis
        • Levels of Care
          • Residential Mental Health Care
          • Outpatient Mental Health Care
        • What We Treat
          • ADD & ADHD
          • Anxiety Disorders
          • Bipolar Disorder
          • Depression
          • Eating Disorders
          • Personality Disorders
          • PTSD
          • Schizophrenia
          • Substance Use Disorder
          • Trauma
  • Programs
        • FHE Programs
          • Specialty Program Overview
          • Restore (Mental Health)
          • Empower! (Women's Program)
          • Shatterproof FHE Health(First Responders)
          • Compass Program
        • Support Programs
          • Alumni
          • Family Support
        • Therapies
          • Acupuncture
          • Breathwork Therapy
          • CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
          • DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy)
          • EMDR Therapy
          • Expressive Arts Therapy
          • Individual Therapy
          • Group Therapy
          • Gambling Therapy
          • Massage
        • Medical Care
          • Medical Integration
          • Ketamine Infusion
          • IV Vitamin
          • Fitness & Nutrition
          • Medication-Assisted Treatment
          • Medication Management
        • NeuroRehab Services
          • Neuro Rehabilitation
          • Neurofeedback Training
          • Neurostimulation Therapy
          • EEG Brain Mapping
          • Insomnia Treatment for PTSD
  • Resources
        • FHE Guides
          • Understanding Drug Abuse
          • Signs of Addiction
          • The Disease of Addiction
          • Confronting Addiction
          • Staging an Intervention
          • Rehab Success Rate – Does It Really Work?
          • Withdrawal Timelines
          • Life After Rehab
          • LGBTQ+ Community Resources
          • Veteran Resources
          • FHE Podcasts
          • Remote Resources Toolkit
        • Learning Center
          • Help for You
          • Help For Loved Ones
          • Help For Alcoholism
          • Help With Substance Abuse
          • Behavioral & Mental Health
          • Life in Recovery
          • Rehab Explained
          • Addiction Statistics
          • Our Research Articles
          • View All Articles
        • The Experience Blog
          • Addiction News
          • Alumni
          • Community Events
          • Expert Opinions
          • FHE Commentary
          • FHE News
          • Treatment Legislation
          • View All Articles
  • Admissions
        • Insurance
          • Blue Cross Insurance
          • Beacon Health / Value Options Insurance
          • Cigna Insurance
          • Humana Insurance
          • TRICARE Insurance
        • Admissions
          • Steps to Addiction Help
          • Will Insurance Cover Behavioral Treatment?
          • Self-Pay Rehab
        • FAQ
          • Keeping Your Job in Rehab
          • Example Day in Rehab
        • Contact Admissions
          • Contact Us
          • Secure Payment Form
  • Contact
  •  
Home > Featured in Recovery > Building Your Resume in Recovery

December 19, 2019 By Molly Lauroesch

Building Your Resume in Recovery

Building Your Resume in Recovery

You’re working through recovery and feeling empowered by all that you’ve learned about substance abuse and mental health. Now, you’re working towards getting back into the workforce, a logical step in the progression of your treatment. How do you complete a resume for returning to work if there are big gaps in it from your time in treatment? Do you legally have to tell your potential employer about where you were or what you were doing?

This is a difficult situation. Re-entering the workforce in itself is a complex process, but when there’s a gap of significant size on your resume, you may be worried an employer will question it. It’s true that they will likely want to know why you were not working. However, you don’t need to provide all of the details.

Creating a Re-entering Workforce Resume: What Do You Have to Disclose?

What are your options for addressing your recovery on a resumeHaving a mental health disorder or substance use disorder isn’t uncommon. The National Alliance on Mental Illness states that 1 in 5 U.S. adults will experience this. Yet, even in this situation where it is so common, it can seem like a black mark on your record. A stigma of depression, anxiety, or substance abuse can sometimes make people not want to create a resume after rehab, even with all you’ve worked towards.

If you have a diagnosed mental illness or substance abuse disorder, you fall under the protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you are currently using an illegal substance or have an untreated mental illness, you may not have protection. However, you have protections under this law if you:

  • Have been successfully rehabilitated and no longer using illegal substances
  • Are participating in rehabilitation programs and no longer engaging in drugs

As a result of this, a current or former employer cannot use this information to make a hiring decision. You can also request accommodations to your job duties if they are necessary due to your disability.

You do not have to disclose any information about your disability, and if you do, that information cannot be used in a hiring decision. However, some less-than-desirable employers may try to skirt this rule. For example, they may state that there is another reason why they did not hire you. Some may say they are filling the position with a more qualified applicant.

Employers can hire who they believe is the best fit for the job, and that tends to be the key factor that may cause you to miss an employment opportunity if your skills do not match. Yet, if you can prove that you did meet their qualifications and they did discriminate against you, you can take legal action. That’s not easy to do, though.

How to Address Gaps in Your Employment

Creating a resume in recovery means there will be gaps in your employment, especially if you’ve been an inpatient for several months. How can you explain those gaps?

Tell Them About Your Treatment

Sometimes, it is worthwhile to tell your employer that you were receiving treatment for drug or alcohol abuse or some type of mental health disorder. Feel free to limit how much information you provide. There are benefits to doing this.

  • It means you don’t have to worry about explaining away the gap otherwise.
  • You may feel relief that you don’t have to hide your condition.
  • You don’t have to worry about someone else sharing this information with an employer.
  • You may be able to secure better accommodations from your employer for your needs, such as limited job hours.
  • You may be confident in your recovery and want to tell others about it.

This can be a good decision for some people. There are some risks, though. Employers cannot legally share this information with anyone else. There is confidentiality present here. Yet, your information may still be present in records and files. You may also have to face a negative reaction should that information be shared.

Tell Them You Were Ill

Remember, you do not have to provide a lot of detail here. You can tell your would-be employer that you were ill for a few months and leave it at that. Using the term ill may mean that your employer is less likely to inquire because most hiring managers understand that this is confidential and protected information.

Tell Them You Took Time Off for Personal Reasons

Again, you don’t have to provide a lot of information here. You can state that you took some time off because you were burned out or otherwise not fit to work. Or, simply say that you needed to leave a bad situation.

What If Your Mental Health or Addiction Caused Issues at Your Previous Job?

Should you lie about your mental health on a resumeAnother key factor to consider is what happened at the end of your previous job. Let’s say your employment ended abruptly because you were unable to continue with your job duties due to your drug or alcohol use. You may have had your employment terminated.

In any situation, be as honest as you need to. You can tell your new employer that you left due to illness. If and when the new employer calls to verify your employment with the previous employer, remember that your rights are still protected. The previous employer cannot disclose personal information about your health, including substance use or mental illness. They may say that your position was terminated, though.

Can You Lie About Your Addiction or Mental Health?

Every situation is vastly different. It’s a good idea to have a conversation with your counselor about the best way to approach your situation. Most of the time, you don’t want to lie directly about it. For example, there’s no benefit in telling a potential new employer that you left your job on good terms if you were terminated for failing a drug test. You also don’t want to lie about any other area of your employment, including the dates of hire and termination, what you did there, or what your skills are. Be sure the information you do provide is accurate.

It’s also important to remember that a part of your drug and alcohol treatment, including the 12-step program, is to be honest with yourself and with those around you. Lying on your applications or resume for re-entering work is never acceptable in this aspect, either.

At the same time, you don’t have to directly address your mental health or substance abuse straight on. What’s valuable here is sharing what you can do for your employer at this point in your life. Stress to your employer that you’ve worked through some tough times, and share as much as you want to do so only.

Special Accommodations Are a Consideration

Some types of mental health illness can require a person to need special accommodations at work. For example, you may need to work a limited number of hours or perform specific tasks. Your counselor can help you determine what type of accommodations are best for you to re-enter the workforce. For some people, limited hours are necessary if they are dealing with severe anxiety or depression.

If you need special accommodations, your would-be employer may be able to provide them. In this event, you need to share the details of what your needs are to that employer. You may need to disclose some information as to why this is. If this is the case, be sure to let the hiring manager know this. While they have a duty to make accommodations as they can, there are some situations where it is not feasible.

Don’t Let Setbacks Discourage You

Work with your counselor throughout this process. Be mentally prepared for rejection. It happens to even well-qualified applicants without disabilities. Keep trying until you find an employer that’s willing to give you a chance. Be open to sharing insight to some if you think it may help you.

Seek Help for Addiction and Mental Health Needs at FHE Health

There’s help available to you at FHE Health. If you’re ready to get back to life, call our compassionate counselors at 833-596-3502 for immediate help.

Filed Under: Featured in Recovery, Life in Recovery, Remote Resources

About Molly Lauroesch

Molly has over 5 years of experience in the behavioral health field. She grew up just outside of Washington, D.C. and has been living in the South Florida... read more

Primary Sidebar

Learning Center

  • Help for You
  • Help For Loved Ones
  • Help For Alcoholism
  • Help With Substance Abuse
  • Behavioral & Mental Health
  • Life in Recovery
  • Rehab Explained
  • All Articles

Sign up for the Blog

Our Facilities

Take a look at our state of the art treatment center.

View Our Gallery

The Experience Blog

  • Addiction News
  • Alumni
  • Community Events
  • Expert Columns
  • FHE Commentary
  • FHE News
  • Treatment Legislation
  • All Articles

Footer

FHE Health

© 2025 FHE Health

505 S Federal Hwy #2,
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441
1-833-596-3502
youtube facebook instagram linkedin twitter
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • AI Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
A+ BBB and Top Places to Work - Sun Sentinel

Copyright © 2025 · FHE Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}

The FHE Health team is committed to providing accurate information that adheres to the highest standards of writing. If one of our articles is marked with a ‘reviewed for accuracy and expertise’ badge, it indicates that one or more members of our team of doctors and clinicians have reviewed the article further to ensure accuracy. This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care.

If there are any concerns about content we have published, please reach out to us at marketing@fhehealth.com.

833-596-3502

Text/Call Me