New Project for 12,000 Treated Patients: Easier Path to Employment

Around 12,000 people in Croatia undergo treatment each year for drug, alcohol, gambling, and video game addiction, and the new Social Reintegration Project should facilitate their return to everyday life. The program was adopted by the government's Committee on Addictions and Behavioral Addictions in late July 2026, and it brings a significant novelty: for the first time, it includes individuals treated for alcohol, gambling, and video game addiction, not just drug addiction.

Experts from the Croatian Institute of Public Health (CIPH) emphasize that social reintegration is a crucial phase of recovery. After completing treatment, many face unemployment, interrupted education, strained family relationships, and stigma. The project aims to ensure that success is measured not only by abstinence but also by the individual's ability to live, work, and participate in the community independently again.

Four Pillars of Support and Personal Coordinators

The project is based on four areas of action: education, employment, housing, and psychosocial support. Beneficiaries will be able to complete primary or secondary education, undergo retraining, and participate in other adult education programs. The Croatian Employment Service will provide vocational guidance to select professions suited to their abilities and labor market needs.

Additionally, workshops for active job seeking and career development will be organized, and education will be financed through the voucher system. To prevent individuals from being left without support after treatment, special coordinators will be appointed within the health, social, and employment systems to monitor beneficiaries through all stages of recovery.

Concrete Results and Increased Funding

The new project builds on the resocialization program that has been implemented in Croatia since 2007. According to CIPH data, by the end of 2025, 1,346 individuals had undergone vocational guidance and work ability assessments. Of these, 437 were included in educational programs, and 1,224 beneficiaries exercised their right to education funded by the Ministry of Science, Education, and Youth.

During this period, 1,235 individuals found employment, while more than 15,000 beneficiaries used various forms of psychosocial support provided by civil society organizations. Program funding is also increasing: in 2025, approximately 540,000 euros were allocated, representing a 20 percent increase compared to the previous year.

Expansion to New Forms of Addiction

The project reflects a changed understanding of addiction. Alongside traditional drug problems, increasing attention is being paid to behavioral addictions such as gambling and video game playing. Individuals treated for these disorders will now, for the first time, have access to the same social reintegration measures. Special programs are also planned for women, minors, and other vulnerable groups, along with the removal of some administrative barriers to program participation.

Implementation will be systematically monitored through internal and external evaluations, including the number of beneficiaries involved, their employment, use of support measures, and continuity of treatment. The ultimate goal is to reduce stigmatization, strengthen the independence of recovering individuals, and reduce the risk of relapse, so that recovery ends with lasting community integration, not just exit from the treatment system.