Recovery Through Work - As one of the largest Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) providers in Philadelphia, PA, Merakey Parkside Recovery seeks to integrate Recovery Through Work, a comprehensive workforce development program, into its substance use disorder (SUD)/co-occurring disorder (COD) treatment at three sites located in medically underserved communities: West Philadelphia, Germantown, and Greater Northeast Philadelphia. Merakey Parkside Recovery provides evidence-based treatment to over 2,000 unique individuals/year. 97% of Merakey Parkside clients inject drugs. The majority of clients have a co-occurring mental health disorder, experience housing insecurity, and have had interactions with the justice system. 40% of clients identify as Black or African American and approximately 10% identify as Hispanic/Latino. 65% identify as male. IN recent years, Philadelphia has had one of the highest rates of death from unintentional drug overdoses among the nation's largest cities and counties. In 2018, the city recorded 1,116 drug related deaths. Opioids were found in more than 84% of those drug deaths. In 2020, those numbers continue to rise, and Philadelphia is facing a serious public health crisis. SUD treatment needs to support sustained recovery by increasing access to employment. By holding a job, individuals establish a legal source of income, structured use of time, and improved self-esteem, which in turn fosters and strengthens recovery. The focus of Merakey's proposal is to support recovery by: implementing a prevocational workforce training program and workforce care management team comprised of Case Managers, Career Navigators, and a Certified Peer Specialist; assisting clients in securing and retaining employment; and increasing the capacity of employers to hire and retain the individuals in recovery. The program, previously piloted at Merakey's West Philadelphia site, is already supported by the local Philadelphia workforce board and aligns with the city's priority to reduce opioid-related fatalities and support those in recovery with returning to the workforce. Through this program, clients will develop lifelong skills and social connections that increase access to employment, improve social determinants of health, and empower them in their recovery. The Recovery Through Work curriculum covers a wide range of topics, including computer literacy, interviewing skills, financial literacy, and emotional intelligence. Over the five-year grant period, 390 unique clients will have the opportunity to enroll in this 10-week Recovery Through Work program and receive the associated supports from the workforce care management team. In the first and final years, the program will serve 60 clients annually; in years two and through four, 90 clients annually will have access to the program. In addition, 125 unique employers will actively collaborate with the program to help individuals in recovery obtain self-sustaining employment. By the end of the five-year grant period, at least 50 employers will receive education and participate in round table discussions about the importance of hiring individuals in recovery.
