Connecticut Recovery Employment Network (CREN) - The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), in partnership with the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health (PRCH), the Ministerial Health Fellowship (MHF), and statewide behavioral health and workforce partners, proposes the Connecticut Recovery Employment Network (CREN), a five-year statewide initiative to improve competitive employment and long-term recovery outcomes for adults with substance use disorders (SUD) and co-occurring disorders (COD). CREN addresses persistent employment barriers through a coordinated model that integrates treatment, recovery, rehabilitation, evidence-based supported employment, peer recovery support, workforce development, trusted community partnerships, and employer engagement to promote sustained recovery and competitive employment. CREN consists of two complementary components: (1) the Recovery Employment Success Academy, which will strengthen Connecticut's recovery employment workforce by training Individual Placement and Support (IPS) providers, Employment Peer Recovery Support Specialists (EPRSSs), behavioral health providers, church leaders, community partners, and Recovery-Ready Employers; and (2) coordinated employment and recovery services delivered through five DMHAS-supported IPS implementation sites and eight Trusted Community Recovery Employment Hubs established through participating churches within the Ministerial Health Fellowship network. The project integrates Individual Placement and Support for SUD (IPS-SUD), SAMHSA Peer Core Competencies, recovery-oriented employment education, Swarbrick's Eight Dimensions of Wellness, faith-based community engagement, and Recovery-Ready Employer practices. Employment Peer Recovery Support Specialists will work alongside IPS providers to deliver coordinated employment planning, peer recovery coaching, workforce navigation, employer engagement, and long-term recovery support. Church-based Employment Wellness, Networking, and Support Groups will expand access to recovery employment services for individuals who may not otherwise engage with traditional behavioral health systems. Over the five-year project period, CREN will train approximately 106 Employment Peer Recovery Support Specialists, 120 behavioral health providers, and 111 church and community partners, while providing coordinated employment and recovery services to approximately 450 adults with SUD/COD seeking competitive employment. The project will strengthen statewide workforce capacity, improve coordination across behavioral health and employment systems, expand Recovery-Ready Employer partnerships, and improve competitive employment, job retention, recovery capital, wellness, and community participation. Building upon Connecticut's existing recovery-oriented systems of care and employment infrastructure, CREN is designed for long-term sustainability through integration into ongoing DMHAS-supported initiatives, statewide workforce training, implementation support, and continuous quality improvement. CREN advances SAMHSA's priorities by expanding access to evidence-based treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation services; strengthening the behavioral health and peer recovery workforce; promoting long-term recovery through competitive employment; and enhancing statewide collaboration among behavioral health providers, workforce partners, employers, and trusted community organizations.
