Pictured are R.E.S.E.T. Recovery Coaches Tolga Gezer, Cherie Cuzzolina, and Angel Ortiz.
Pathways to Recovery helps “R.E.S.E.T” the Recovering Community
Governor Murphy’s Opioid Recovery Employment Program not only promotes helping those in recovery to gain employment, but to get the community involved; especially to have employers involved and properly educated and encouraged to hire those in recovery.
Andrea Fox of Efficientgov strongly states what the goals of the initiative are in her article NJ Offers $3.9 Million for Opioid Recovery Employment Program;
1. Create partnerships in the community that will help facilitate economic growth overcoming the employment effects of the opioid crisis.
2. Provide necessary career training, and supportive services to dislocated workers (including homemakers), temporarily or permanently laid-off individuals due to the opioid crisis, long-term unemployed individuals and self-employed who are unemployed or underemployed as a result of the opioid crisis.
3. Provide employment and training activities for the targeted population to increase unsubsidized employment opportunities and retention as a result of grant-supported activities.
Under the name of, “Pathways to Recovery- R.E.S.E.T.,” Middlesex County takes on the work of helping those who have been impacted directly or indirectly by the opioid epidemic. The Middlesex County program is a partnership between the Township of Woodbridge, Mainstream Recovery, Middlesex County College, and the Middlesex Department of Labor & Workforce Development.
In 2013, Middlesex County had 85 Overdose Deaths, in 2017 that number increased to 235, the most ever recorded for the county and a 276% increase. In 2018, New Jersey had 3,163 drug overdose deaths, the most recorded in one calendar year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported New Jersey had one of the highest increases of such deaths in the country, up 21 percent between January 2017 and January 2018.
“New Jersey’s opioid recovery employment program will provide training to individuals whose career trajectory was impacted by the opioid epidemic. The Pathways to Recovery Initiative will provide Atlantic, Camden, Essex, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties each $650,000, for a total of $3.9 million, with the goal of providing training opportunities, supportive services and employment for individuals who have been impacted by the opioid epidemic. Individuals served are those who have a personal history with opioid abuse, or have friends or family members with a history of abuse.” - Andrea Fox, Efficientgov
When a person in recovery is employed, they are giving back to the community as a positive, productive, tax-paying citizen, and their risk of relapse is greatly reduced. A supportive program such as R.E.S.E.T. will foster positive change in the community by reducing; rates of crime, taxpayer spending, addiction, and overdose. It will also provide an increase in Middlesex County employment & retention rates and boost economic growth by employing residents who were without jobs.
This grant seeks to deepen the network of employment supports for those affected by the opioid epidemic. It seeks to improve opportunities and incentives for opioid-impacted individuals by providing basic skills instruction, workforce readiness (employability skills) instruction and work experience which will emphasize re-entry into the workplace. It also provides supportive services which include childcare, transportation, clothing, and other essentials that aim to remove barriers people usually face when seeking employment.
RESET will pilot critically important new strategies for providing opioid impacted populations with the opportunity to learn and practice the skills necessary to be successful in the labor force. The lessons learned from this effort will assist communities across New Jersey to strengthen services and promote recovery through employment and retention of opioid-impacted individuals. The Township of Woodbridge-Middlesex County is one of six grant recipients for the Pathways to Recovery Initiative through the Department of Labor & Workforce Development.
The Middlesex County R.E.S.E.T. program launched on June 1st and has been quite successful showing great interest from the community. Twice a week on intake day Carmen Mercado a Career Counselor of Workforce Development starts the intake process by sitting with participants and help in deciding what classes, trainings, and employment would be best for them. After seeing Carmen Participants sit with a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (Recovery Coach) to discuss what is needed in order to make them employable and what additional needs they need in order to sustain recovery.
Woodbridge’s Recovery Coaches bring a special element to the helping relationship, which is that most of them are in recovery from addiction themselves and those who are not have first-hand lived experience with addiction and recovery.
Bonnie Nolan Addiction Services Coordinator has been dedicated to advocating for those in recovery for quite some time and continues to do so as grant holder. A few Success stories have been Gabriela Pasternak who was a participant of R.E.S.E.T. and now work as an Executive Assistant in Woodbridge Addiction Services Department. Angel Ortiz and Cherie Cuzzolina both participants of R.E.S.E.T. have recently been hired as Recovery Coaches for the program after taking the CPRS training offered through Mainstream Recovery.
Another strong partner to the program is Joel Pomales, CEO of Mainstream Recovery, who has partnered with Woodbridge Township to help develop and implement that program. Mainstream Recovery also manages and supervises the Recovery Coaches and offers training for program participants. Alongside Joel is James Johansen and Cheyanne Curtin, both Mainstream Recovery consultants who have been vital to the programs success. James, a true advocate in the community, performs outreach to find employment partners and community partners to raise awareness for the R.E.S.E.T. Program. Cheyanne, a selfless and dedicated member of the community, has made it her mission to help those who have been impacted by substance use. Cheyanne provides supervision for the Recovery Coaches and manages the daily operations of the program.
The first R.E.S.E.T. Job fair was held at Woodbridge Health and Human Services Department on November 22nd 2019 with twelve different employers, Truetox, Rutgers UBHC, Discovery Institute and Edustaff just to name a few. The next Job Fair is scheduled for January 17th at the same location, Woodbridge Health and Human Services Department 2 George Frederick Plaza Woodbridge, NJ 07095.
The RESET Program is providing a supportive and humanizing approach to those in recovery which empowers people rather than marginalizing them. Through community education, outreach, and engagement, a culture is being created where addiction is treated as a health condition rather than a moral failing.
Information on the program can be found at
www.mainstreamrecovery.com/reset
NJTV Coverage “Job Fair Provides Pathways to Employment and Recovery”
Employers or community organizations looking to get involved should send an email to Support@mainstreamrecovery.com