“Recovery from a substance use disorder requires support, guidance, and assistance addressing an individual’s physical, emotional, and financial needs. First and foremost, people need quality health care, including access to medication-assisted treatments and counseling to support both physical and mental well-being, comprising the foundation for SUD treatment. […] Living in a community with a high quality of life (including quality employment) improves overall well-being and life satisfaction and in turn reduces the likelihood of substance use disorder.”Addressing Appalachia’s Substance Use Disorder Crisis Through Recovery-to-Work

After the Match: Supporting People and Companies for Continued Success

Expanding Partnerships to Support Job Retention and Growth

Now that your region is successfully matching people in recovery with companies and jobs in the region, how can you support their long-term success in the workplace? People in recovery may need additional support for long-term employment success and growth, particularly in the areas of housing, transportation, and childcare. During recovery, individuals can encounter a variety of barriers that threaten relapse or poverty. Expanding partnerships can help provide the support services they need for success, like affordable childcare, stable housing, and reliable transportation. Providing seamless wraparound support is work that cannot be done by one organization alone – it is the work of many and may involve creating new partnerships or expanding those created earlier in the ecosystem building process.

After completing phase 4, you should have the following outcomes:

A better understanding of the gaps in support services in your region.

New partnerships or programs that directly address real barriers faced by people in recovery keeping long-term employment.

Increased services supporting the long-term employment of people in recovery.

 

Identify Gaps in Wraparound Services in your Region

Start by identifying gaps in the wraparound services in your region. Learn directly from people in recovery who have successfully found jobs: what do they need to keep that job? Where are they experiencing the greatest challenges or barriers? Learn from companies in the region: where do they see gaps in support for the people who work for them? What do they see as the barriers to job retention for people in recovery? Meet with your ecosystem champions team to discuss the gaps and brainstorm shared solutions.

  Activity: Referencing the previously completed ecosystem self-assessment, discuss as a group 2-4 immediate opportunities for expansion with new partnerships and/or resources identified in the first three phases. Discuss opportunities specific to wraparound services. What stakeholder pathways can be connected today at no additional cost?

 

Improve Connections to Wraparound Services

Once your region has identified gaps and opportunities in wraparound services, work together to build new partnerships and programs to address them. Learn from other regions and communities that have developed best practices in addressing barriers around childcare, housing, and transportation. Develop memorandums of understanding (MOUs) to formalize your partnerships and streamline pathways for workers and employers.

  Resource: A Primer on Recovery Residences: FAQs from the National Association of Recovery Residences

  Resource: New Addiction Recovery Support Institutions: Mobilizing Support beyond Professional Addiction Treatment and Recovery Mutual Aid

  Resource: Supporting Access to High-Quality Family Child Care: A Policy Assessment and Planning Tool for States, Territories, and Tribes (National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance)

  Resource: Rural and Small Urban Mobility Innovations Workshop Resources (National Association of Development Organizations)

  Resource: A Guide to Memorandum of Understanding Negotiation and Development