The Southeast Indiana Workforce Investment Board recently announced the receipt of funding from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction to help address behavioral workforce challenges.
The regional nonprofit, which includes Jackson County, will use the $500,000 to expand its Regional Substance Abuse Recovery System, according to a news release from the investment board.
The system’s primary goal is to build a regional peer recovery system to provide holistic employment and training programming for individuals in recovery.
Peer recovery coaches continue to be a critical need for health care employers in southeast Indiana, and demand is growing by as much as 20% over the next decade, according to the news release.
This career opportunity can be a good fit for individuals in recovery who wish to give back to their community and help others through their recovery journey.
The investment board’s long-time partner in building this system is Mental Health America of Indiana.
“This new investment from the Division of Mental Health and Addiction provides us with the opportunity to continue our work helping individuals in recovery, many of whom are also involved in the justice system and need and deserve a second chance,” said Kurt Kegerreis, executive director of the board. “Assisting individuals in recovery has been a priority of our organization since 2018, and this funding is critical to the sustainability of our Regional Substance Abuse Recovery System.”
This funding also will allow the board to implement a Registered Apprenticeship Program for recovery residence house managers.
This yearlong program is a first-of-its-kind in the state and graduates will receive a recovery residence house manager certification. This program is designed to empower house managers by providing them with the foundational skills they need to supervise, support and coach residents effectively, according to the news release.
The investment board’s partners for this new apprenticeship program are Ivy Tech Community College and the Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress Bartholomew County.
“ASAP was excited to work with Bartholomew County recovery residence providers, Southeast Indiana Workforce Board and Ivy Tech to develop a training program for recovery residence house managers,” said Sherri Jewett, executive director of ASAP. “We are appreciative of the funding support provided by DMHA for this program as part of the Behavioral Health Workforce grant. The training program will result in improved outcomes for those that participate in recovery residence programs as well as provide employment opportunities for those in recovery.”
The funding was made available through the Behavioral Health Recruitment and Retention Innovation Grant Program, which DMHA administers. This grant was made possible through the American Rescue Plan Act funds and was authorized in the most recent state budget.
Besides Jackson County, the board serves Bartholomew, Dearborn, Decatur, Franklin, Jefferson, Jennings, Ohio, Ripley and Switzerland counties in Indiana. The mission is to help Hoosiers in southeast Indiana find and grow in careers that are productive and fulfilling and help employers find the qualified personnel they need to be successful. To learn more, visit southeastindianaworkforce.com
With an initial focus on opioids, ASAP is working to develop and implement a data-driven system focused on substance abuse prevention, early intervention, treatment, recovery and enforcement that substantially reduces the prevalence of substance use disorder in Bartholomew County and surrounding areas and helps those with SUD achieve recovery and become or return to being productive, contributing members of their communities. To learn more, visit asapbc.org.