Answer Addiction

Tag: working while in recovery

  • Confetti Company Gives Work To Women In Recovery

    Confetti Company Gives Work To Women In Recovery

    “I want it to do some good because everything gets chucked at the end. My confetti is disposable, but it is made by women to help improve their lives,” said the owner of Leonetti Confetti.

    Kylee Leonetti was inspired to start her confetti-making company after the overdose and near-death of her beloved brother. After a weeklong coma, he awoke. To his family’s great relief, he has been sober ever since. Leonetti was full of gratitude for her family’s good luck, and she wanted to give back to the addiction recovery community.

    “I wanted to spread it around,” Leonetti told MINNPOST. “I wanted to be there for people at a time in their lives when they aren’t experiencing all that much happiness.”

    When Leonetti looked around for a way to contribute, she was struck by how difficult finding and maintaining employment was for so many people in recovery from addiction. Leonetti’s husband, Christian Jensen, saw that potential employers weren’t sure if they could trust someone who had a known past of addiction.

    Even for people without a known history, those who have been in the throes of addiction often have spotty or non-existent work histories. The emotional and physical challenges of early recovery can also make consistency with attendance and production a challenge.

    Leonetti had already been considering starting a confetti-making company, and she realized that cutting confetti – something that could be done at home – could be the perfect job for someone newly clean.

    Jensen and Leonetti already had a business and income and were able to make the confetti company a non-profit, dedicated to giving back. Only the confetti cutters make money.

    After pinpointing women recovering from addiction as the most financially vulnerable population, Leonetti Confetti was born.

    “Empowering women in recovery” is the company slogan, as the company hires and pays only women recovering from addiction. Leonetti Confetti is partnered with Wayside Recovery Center, a comprehensive addiction treatment program for women, and primarily hires women from this center.

    The women confetti cutters work from wherever they can, and when they can, and make $10 an hour.

    Teresa Evans, Wayside’s senior director of development and communications, offers, “Not all of our women are employable. They are all working on building relationships and trust. This is a huge thing for our women to overcome because of the trauma they’ve all experienced. . . . Kylee is a very passionate and compassionate business owner who is willing to put up the right kind of boundaries, help educate them on soft skills and be understanding when they struggle.”

    Leonetti works closely with her non-profit company and the women they employ. “I want it to do some good because everything gets chucked at the end,” Leonetti told MINNPOST. “My confetti is disposable, but it is made by women to help improve their lives.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • New Initiative Helps Make Workplaces Recovery Friendly

    New Initiative Helps Make Workplaces Recovery Friendly

    More than 70 businesses are participating in the Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative. 

    Many people who struggle with substance use disorder find that while getting sober is one challenge, reintegrating into society and finding a job can be another huge barrier to long-term recovery. In New Hampshire, a statewide initiative is aiming to make holding down a job a little easier for people in recovery. 

    The Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative, which has more than 70 participating businesses, provides employers with resources and support to help employees in recovery succeed. Hypertherm, a tool manufacturer based in Lebanon, New Hampshire, is one of the most enthusiastic adopters of the program. 

    “We’re here. We understand,” Jenny Levy, Hypertherm’s vice president of people, community and environment, told The Washington Post. “If you’re seeking recovery, we’re here for you.”

    Employers in the initiative are more open to employees with criminal records or gaps in employment. They also may provide services like training in how to use naloxone. Overall, having an open commitment to supporting employees in recovery can help cut down on stigma. In turn, employment can help build the self-worth of people in early recovery. 

    “There’s not a whole lot of pride that goes into being a user,” said Kenny Sawyer, who has worked at Hypertherm for eight years, following years of drug abuse and homelessness. 

    David Mara, New Hampshire’s drug czar, said that holding down a job is an important accomplishment for people in recovery, not just because it is sometimes part of probation conditions. 

    “One of the most important things that people in recovery talk about is how it feels, with their self-worth and identity, getting employed again,” Mara said. 

    Of course, the program also has benefits for the companies that participate. New Hampshire has the third-highest overdose rate in the nation but also one of the lowest unemployment rates, at just 2.7%. 

    “Basically, everyone in New Hampshire is employed,” Mara said. 

    In that environment, opening employment opportunities to people who may otherwise be seen as less desirable candidates can help companies get ahead, and helping employees stay sober — and employed — keeps the businesses rolling. 

    Kevin Flynn, director of communications and public policy for New Hampshire’s Business and Industry Association, said that in a state where addiction is prevalent, employers have had to deal with the toll addiction takes on their employees. 

    “Most thoughtful business leaders want to do the right thing by their employees when it comes to addiction, and to [addiction in] their families,” he said.

    Levy, of Hypertherm, said that that commitment is returned. Employees “who are supported through their recovery are incredibly loyal,” he said. “They make great workers.”

    View the original article at thefix.com