Testing It Up

The Employee Assistance Program may have been a familiar name in the U.S. workforce, but not everyone is aware that the idea was founded by the National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence (NCADD) in the late 1940s.

NCADD President and CEO Robert Lindsey revealed in an exclusive interview with TestCountry that the EAP began through working with unions in order to combat alcoholism. Initially, it was called the Occupational Alcoholism Program, focusing primarily with problems related to alcohol addiction, until it later started to incorporate drug awareness. Over the years, the concept has saved not only thousands of lives, but also rescued companies and corporations from spending millions of dollars. NCADD has firmly hold its ground in the belief that there is no more effective tool for an employer than helping all their employees and their company’s bottom line live a drug-free life.

Mr. Lindsey took over in 2006 as the President of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD). He has been involved in alcoholism and addiction recovery services for over 30 years. He holds a BA in Psychology, a Masters of Science in Education from St. Bonaventure University in New York, and is a Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP). He has also served as executive director of the New York State Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Addictions, an NCADD affiliate organization for New York State.

During the interview, Lindsey also talks about the National Council’s affiliates and their roles in helping people with addiction problems. Additionally, he mentioned about the organization’s innovative initiative to develop drug courts across the country and how much it can save in future incarceration and emergency room costs.

For the full text of the interview, click here.