(FORTUNE Magazine) – A New Jersey drug-treatment specialist recommended David J. Mahoney, the former chief executive of Norton Simon Inc., to FORTUNE as a boss who has quietly but effectively helped subordinates get treatment for drug addiction. Of the subject, Mahoney says: ''It's important -- executive drug abuse has been in the closet for too long.'' The critical first step, in Mahoney's view, is making a troubled subordinate aware that you know about his problems and care about his getting well. ''You've got to tell him in a no-nonsense but nonthreatening way that you and his colleagues know about his drug use,'' says Mahoney. ''Make him aware that you're concerned that he's harming not only his career, but also his marriage and family.'' Next you have to convince the executive that the company will cover for him while he's in treatment. ''If you make them feel secure, they're much more willing to help themselves,'' Mahoney says. ''I tell them that we'll send them on a trip or check them into a hospital on a hernia diagnosis.'' Mahoney also made it a point to visit the executive at the treatment center. ''This relieves the pressure at home,'' he says. ''You know, his wife is scared, and during treatment a lot of her aggressions come out. If you show how much you care this way, they'll both relax. At least the executive won't have to be fighting on three fronts.'' Equally important is to take the executive back, even if he suffers relapses. ''The key question is, is there improvement, is he really trying?'' The former C.E.O. does say that there are cases where the boss must fire an executive for the sake of the company. ''Yes, you are allowed to give up,'' he says. ''But the tom-toms in an organization will know that you've tried your best to help a guy. Even if you lost him, the next one will be more willing to come forward. And when help works, the company is infinitely better off. You develop a loyalty that transcends business.''