What problem does it solve? The opiate crisis in NJ is not going to go away. More people receive treatment in rehabs and halfway houses in NJ than ever before. I propose to take employment counseling and training services directly to the recovery community. Many patients have lost their jobs due to their addiction. In NJ alone there are hundreds of drug and alcohol recovery (halfway) houses throughout the state. It would be a smoother transition if they are discharged back into the community and back to a job. What is your solution and who does it apply to? There are One Stop Career Services and employment and training opportunities in every county throughout the state. I would like to bring the services directly to the patients getting ready to be discharged halfway houses and rehab facilities throughout the state. We can help these people get on their feet and hook them up with jobs or the training they need to be successful once they are discharged. In the process, we can connect them to other community resources that are needed and assist them in evaluating their own strengths. What is the anticipated impact? Addicts and Alcoholics in recovery are much more successful at staying clean and sober when they are employed and going to work every day. I believe we can combine employment services with these patients' discharge plans to help them transition back to work.
Challenges will arise in trying to remove the sometimes serious barriers to employment that this population often faces.
https://www.app.com/story/opinion/editorials/2018/10/24/opioid-crisis-new-jersey-growing-worse-editorial/1753845002/
We will most likely need to connect these people with other community resources as well. Some of these services could be Federal Bonding Program, Mental Health Counseling, On The Job Training, Ex-Offender services, and Legal Services of NJ to name a few.
https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/local/south-jersey/2018/02/21/camden-county-lawsuit-purdue-opioid-epidemic/358038002/
https://www.nj.com/data/2019/01/drug-deaths-in-nj-break-record-for-4th-straight-year-why-is-this-happening.html
I'm thinking personal finance education will also be helpful in keeping them from reverting to old habits when the going gets tough.
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