CARITAS Works – How Meaningful Employment Promotes Recovery

Presenter: Vicki Lyn Mollenauer Works Career Development Specialist Marilyn Milio, Works Program Manager Karen Stanley, CEO CARITAS Karen O’Brien, COO CARITAS

Our Mission at CARITAS WORKS  We provide intensive and innovative career preparation, character development and job placement support and resources to individuals with major barriers to employment, empowering them to overcome their circumstances and forge pathways to lasting success.

CARITAS Works... Works!

Why is meaningful employment so important? A job provides the individual in recovery the ability to enhance self-esteem and to build confidence and self-worth by providing the opportunity to invest in something in which he can find purpose. “Employment becomes the primary vehicle for reintegrating an individual into the community as a productive and contributing member of society and makes him/her feel worthwhile and self-confident; it becomes a means for social readjustment.” (Vocational Rehabilitation; Platt, 1995)

Benefits of Employment for Those in Recovery When a job fits an individual’s personal values, beliefs, and abilities: It becomes a source of legitimate and stable income, establishes responsibility and builds self- esteem. It allows the individual to once again recognize his/her self-worth and integrates the person back into mainstream society. It provides a gateway into productive, healthy new relationships, whether social or professional.

Standard Approach to Treatment for Substance Abuse Work meets a basic human need to be a contributing part of a group. However, employment traditionally has not been a focus--or a stated goal--of treatment for substance abuse. The standard approach has been to take care of clients' addiction problems, and in doing so, it was thought that issues such as employment would take care of themselves because of clients' increased self-esteem and desire to succeed.

The CARITAS Works Approach Karen Stanley, CEO of CARITAS, saw this was not so when men from The Healing Place were completing the program, leaving, relapsing, and then returning for help. She saw that they needed assistance in finding gainful employment, and thus with a grant from Bank of America, created the CARITAS Works program to address this need in January, 2011.

Moving to Stability  CARITAS Works consists of three components that will ultimately guide the students to attain sustainable economic security and become productive, self-sustaining, joyful, and service-driven members of their community.

CARITAS Works  Works is a five-week, eight hour a day, job preparedness and skills development program. The program encompasses: character building, career development and life skills classes.

Job Club  Job Club provides access to the computer lab, employment resources, and personal assistance with job applications and resources to support employment opportunities. Temporary employment through CARITAS is available while our client is an active member of Works Job Club.

What our Stats Look Like What does it mean to go from shelter to stability in employment?  Since 2011, 429 men have graduated from CARITAS Works  42 classes  86.42% found jobs within 30 days  56% employed for a year  $10.56 starting hourly rate  $12.40 after a year

AfterWorks  AfterWorks offers two years of job placement support and follow-up and includes access to the computer lab, working with volunteer and staff career coaches, job resources and classes to support our client’s current employment and offers opportunities to help them discover and develop careers.

My Personal Experience  Four Recovery Programs between 1993 – 1997 without job placement assistance  Rubicon Recovery Program which partnered with The Daily Planet Job Readiness and Job Placement Program in  October 14, 2016 – 18 years in recovery

Sharing our Strength By December 2016, CARITAS will be publishing our CARITAS Works Workforce Development Curriculum with accompanying material :  How to recruit and utilize volunteers throughout all program components  Creating the Job Club and AfterWorks Components  Creating Workforce Connections

Contact Information If you have questions or would like to volunteer at CARITAS, give me a call or send me an . Vicki Mollenauer Career Development Specialist CARITAS Works