Access to Recovery (ATR) Honors National Recovery Month and National Workforce Development Month with Symposium and Other Resources! |
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ATR UPDATE | September 2021 |
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In This Issue
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Working Recovery Symposium Sneak Peak - Answering the Why: What does the Research Say about the Importance of Recovery to Employment?
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Want to Hear More about Employment Supports? - A Conversation with ATR Project Director, Rebecca Starr
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Focusing In - Recover Loudly So Others Don't Suffer in Silence - A Conversation with Kevin Lamson, Recovery Support Specialist at MassHire Holyoke
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Expanding Our Reach - Now Offering Services in Lowell and Onboarding New Career Building Service Providers
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We're Hiring - Position Opening for ATR Workforce Job Developer
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Working Recovery Symposium Sneak Peak
Answering the Why: What Does the Research Say About the Importance of Employment to Recovery?
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This month is National Recovery Month and National Workforce Development Month, so what better time to learn more about the link between recovery and employment?
With a growing body of research on the benefits of employment in the recovery process, ATR is excited to welcome researchers Dr. David Best and Dr. David Eddie to our September 14 WORKING RECOVERY virtual symposium.
Their research highlights the importance of employment as a critical source of recovery capital and social connectedness. Although multiple barriers to reentering the workforce remain for people in recovery, access to employment, education, and training impacts both quality of life for people in recovery and economic prosperity in our communities.
Using a nationally representative U.S. sample, Dr. Eddie and his co-authors found that people who resolved an alcohol and other drug (AOD) use disorders and were employed reported greater quality of life, self-esteem, and happiness compared to those who were unemployed and needing work (Eddie et al., 2020).
Similarly, Dr. Best and his co-authors found that for a sample of substance users who accessed treatment services in England, those who were involved in meaningful activities, including employment, training, and education, reported increased quality of life (Best et al., 2013).
In another study, Dr. Best and his co-authors conducted qualitative research with a sample of former problematic users of heroin or alcohol residing in Glasgow, Scotland. They found that social factors, particularly peer support, were often cited as key elements promoting sustained recovery. For participants who attended educational or training courses or were employed, they saw training or employment as “very important” in their recovery (Best et al., 2011).
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Want to join the live conversation on September 14? Please engage with us and other symposium participants on Twitter using the hashtag #WORKINGRECOVERY2021.
References:
Best, D., Gow, J., Taylor, A., Knox, A., & White, W. (2011). Recovery from Heroin or Alcohol Dependence: A Qualitative Account of the Recovery Experience in Glasgow. The Journal of Drug Issues, 41(3), 359-378.
Best, D., Savic, M., Beckwith, M., Honor, S., Karpusheff, J., & Lubman, D. I. (2013). The role of abstinence and activity in the quality of life of drug users engaged in treatment. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment,45(3) 273-279.
Eddie, D., Vilsaint, C. L., Hoffman, L. A., Bergman, B. G., Kelly, J. F., & Hoeppner, B. B. (2020). From working on recovery to working in recovery: Employment status among a nationally representative U.S. sample of individuals who have resolved a significant alcohol or other drug problem. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 113, 108000.
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Want to Hear More about Employment Supports?
A Conversation with ATR Project Director, Rebecca Starr
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On August 25, at 2:30 p.m. ET, AHP Live presented a conversation between Rebecca Starr, Project Director, Access to Recovery (ATR), and AHP's Director of Digital Strategy Kristen King about a cutting-edge model that is revolutionizing on-ramps to employment and enhancing recovery progress for people with substance use disorder.
The discussion covered why employment makes such a difference, the upcoming virtual symposium WORKING RECOVERY, which offers a deeper dive into the research, structure, and outcomes of programs such as ATR and other approaches to making employment integral to recovery. Enjoy the replay! And don't forget to register for WORKING RECOVERY: Why Employment is Pivotal to Sustained Addiction Recovery, Tuesday, September 14, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT.
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Focusing In: Recover Loudly So Others Don't Suffer in Silence
A Conversation with Kevin Lamson, Recovery Support Specialist at MassHire Holyoke
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Hear directly from one of MassHire's Recovery Support Specialists, Kevin Lamson, about the importance of employment, sense of purpose, and value in early recovery in this short interview. |
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Expanding ATR’s Reach
Now offering services in Lowell and onboarding new Career Building Services providers!
Since May, the ATR team has been hard at work onboarding new staff and welcoming participants into the Institute for Health and Recovery’s (IHR) Lowell office and MassHire Lowell. To date, ATR Lowell has enrolled approximately 45 individuals seeking recovery support services and has onboarded 18 community providers as referral portals. MassHire Lowell additionally began teaching its first Paths to Empowerment cohort on August 16 with 10 Lowell participants enrolled.
When asked what she loves most about her role, Lowell Care Coordinator Ashley Richards said, “My favorite part is enlightening individuals of the possibility of what their life could be. When I’m doing [intake] assessments, they’re broken down and defeated and hopeless. When I give suggestions on our services to show what their life could be in the future, they light up. We give them basic needs . . . and they become so ambitious about life. Once they have these basic tools, they’re more hopeful for a better future than they were when they first came into our office.”
Doug Starbird, Program Director of Lowell House Men’s Recovery Home, said that “ATR provides much needed basic needs and job training for individuals first arriving in our program. Sober house funding gives a chance for financial flexibility many of our guys have never had in order to focus on other areas of their lives.”
We’re so proud of the work ATR Lowell staff have put into developing inroads for ATR in their community and greatly appreciate the support of all community providers.
If you would like to become a referral portal for ATR Lowell, please contact Ashley Richards at ashleyrichards@healthrecovery.org. IHR Lowell is also hiring a second care coordinator; applications can be found here.
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We're Hiring
ATR is hiring a WORKFORCE JOB DEVELOPER for a cutting-edge employment program for people in early recovery from substance use disorders. If you believe recovery is possible and are passionate about helping people on their journey, we have a position that will fully utilize your interests and talents. You will work, as part of the Access to Recovery (ATR) team as a job developer in our workforce development program. You’ll have the opportunity to cultivate employer relationships, use your creativity and drive to develop job prospects in specific occupational markets, and find the best ways to educate ATR graduates about these opportunities. You will also serve as an interface between employers and job seekers, utilize your relationship-building and communication skills, and you will offer career counseling to job seekers and help them make appropriate career decisions.
In short, you have the chance to walk ATR participants through the entire employment process and open their minds to the possibilities that await them. In this role, you will help ATR participants change their lives and futures and receive the reward of seeing them thrive. The ATR workforce development program is a national model, and your effort within it will change lives.
To learn more about the position, AHP and to apply, go to this link:
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ATR offers real solutions. Thousands of people in Massachusetts can now access desperately needed recovery support services to help them recover from addiction.
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