RAINELLE (WVDN) – Convincing employers to give people in addiction recovery a new chance at life and work was the goal of the many speakers at the Communities of Healing event held at Fruits of Labor in Rainelle on Monday, Mar. 21.
Why should employers consider those in recovery as good candidates for employment? One speaker emphasized that people in recovery are part of the local community and should still be allowed to participate in how the community functions.
“Recovery is not an ‘over there’ thing,” said Seed Sowers president Jay Phillips. “Many of us, in our communities, would fall into this misconception – you send somebody away to recover, then you bring them back. That particular stigma is really damaging, because it doesn’t make you a part of the solution. It doesn’t make us, in our communities, part of the solution. Recovery is not an ‘over there’ thing, it’s a ‘right here’ thing.”
The event was hosted by Fruits of Labor president Tammy Jordan. The business recently passed its 21st anniversary, but the event celebrated its more recent history.
About 10 years ago, the business began working with individuals in recovery. In 2017, Jordan looked to intentionally expand that idea by teaching other businesses how and why to do the same.
“If every single business that was able to hire someone in recovery in the state of West Virginia would hire one person in one year’s time, how would we change our state?” asked Jordan.
The Communities of Healing program is the result of these efforts. It is a “recovery-to-work ecosystem” designed to “spur small business development and employ West Virginians healing from addiction through the growth of social entrepreneurship.” Businesses involved get support from a wide variety of organizations, including the ones represented by the speakers.
Tammy Jordan and Jay Phillips |
Workforce West Virginia is one of those supporters.
Services offered through Workforce West Virginia allow people without steady employment to work through a training program. For about six months, Workforce West Virginia pays the wages for the worker as they start in a new position in an approved business. Although there are eligibility requirements, the people seeking jobs come from different environments, such as recovery centers, the court system, or might have just heard about it. After the six-month period, often the participants are then hired for the position permanently.
“We can help with a number of things to eliminate the barriers that are keeping people from being successful,” said Robin Martin of Workforce West Virginia. “We have opportunities to have your driver’s license reinstated, we have opportunities for dental and vision or for childcare support.”
“We look for employers and locations that offer a safe work environment,” Martin said. “We want someone that’s going to be encouraging, someone that will teach you the skills and provide you with work experience, so you can build up your resume and just get back into the workforce.”
Another program is offered by Jobs and Hope, a program founded by the West Virginia Legislature and Governor Jim Justice as a comprehensive response to substance abuse in the state. Both Deborah Harris and Lorrie Smith work to keep West Virginians out of jail and in the workforce.
“We can help with a number of things to eliminate the barriers that are keeping people from being successful,” explained Harris. “Our target populations are those in long term treatment or recovery and those re-entering the workforce for a number of reasons. We work very closely with … education programs in adult correctional facilities and regional jail. … We want to partner with everyone across the state to get them into career employment. That’s our ultimate goal.”
One of the programs also looks to promote recovery in the workplace itself.
“With Second Chance, employers are willing to take a look at someone that might have a criminal history or might have a spotty work history,” explained Harris. “Recovery friendly takes that a step further, really looking at ‘how can I help this person not only be successful in the workplace, but successful in life? How can I help them sustain their long-term recovery?’”
The program also offers incentives to employers.
“Workforce West Virginia has a number of incentives that are available that employers don’t know about, or they don’t utilize,” Harris said. “The federal bonding program, Empowered Employment, on the job training, all of these things are available for employers. Jobs and Hope is getting ready to roll out a wage reimbursement program – if an employer hires a participant, they can get reimbursed wages for up to $25,000, which is going to be a huge deal.”
Tammy Jordan (left), Robin Morgan, Lorrie Smith, and Deb Harris |
Summers County Day Report Director Marie Propps highlighted the benefits of employing someone in the Day Report system.
“My goal is to reduce the number of people that are incarcerated,” Propps explained. “With drug court, the benefit is often that they are eligible for their records to be expunged. Phase one is your most intensive. After that, we don’t really back off, but we change the programming content and work to help folks become more independent, to work towards having a job, and being a fully functional person in the community. … As the provider of services with the day report, I do drug screenings for lots of people. All the folks on parole, we drug screen them. In Summers and Monroe counties, we also offer direct screening to private entities. We want to encourage them … and to make sure that our employees are providing safe services.”
Jordan agreed with the importance of the Day Report system and the related drug court alternative sentencing program, saying, “I’ve been doing graduations and they are tearful. We really support individuals in drug court. We have boosted drug courts’ graduation by 40 percent. If they were part of the Fruits of Labor program, 90 percent of the time they graduate from the drug court program. It’s gaining confidence, it’s learning skill sets, it’s moving forward in their lives. The purpose overpowers the past, and I think that’s key.”
The speakers also included current and past members of the Fruits of Labor staff and program.
(Author’s note – for the sake of privacy, Jordan asked The West Virginia Daily News to only identify each participant by their first name.)
“It changes everything,” said Amanda. “It makes you want to do better and keep growing better. You should do it because it gives the person a second chance at life. It gives them stability and a reason to want to be better in the future. I think it really helps a lot of people – it’s helped me.”
“Before I started at Fruits of Labor, I made the horrendous assumption that once an addict, always an addict,” said Sophie. “I spent a lot of time grappling with what my purpose is, and this has given me that. It’s not just a job, it’s given me this opportunity to work with people in recovery.”
The program also builds on itself – the first group of students helped train the second group, and so on.
“It comes down to the community right here,” said Jess. “These girls are willing to go out and make a difference and continue to grow. I feel like soon it’s going to make the biggest difference.”
“It’s wanting to be part of this; it’s wanting to see people succeed,” Tammy Jordan said. “That’s the investment. Jess came with us in 2016 and spent six months with us in the original program. Now manages the day-to-day bakery production, and so that is something that’s precious to my heart.”
Of the many speakers at the day-long event, one story told by Propps explained what so many hoped they could help create for people coming out of addiction.
“Some communities are more forgiving than others,” Propps explained. “We had one woman who was in court, and she did super well. I would have hired her to come to my house, give her a key, and say go clean, and she would do a great job. We sent her places that had ‘Now Hiring’ posted all over the place, and they wouldn’t even give her an interview. They can’t forget their perception of who she used to be. They can’t see her for who she really is, all they could see was her addiction. … I was eating at a restaurant in Hinton and the owner was like ‘I’m so sorry we’re so slow, [we can’t find workers]’ and I said ‘let me tell you.’ I knew exactly who would be perfect for a job, and she did get a job there. … She did really well. … She’s now an assistant manager.”
The day also heard presentations from WV HIVE, Alderson Main Street, and participants in the Communities of Healing program.
To get involved with Communities of Healing, see fruitsoflaborinc.com/communities-of-healing or email info@communitiesofhealing.com. The application process for the next cycle of businesses involved with the program has already opened.
A lunch was served by the current members and graduates of the Communities of Healing program at Fruits of Labor. |
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