Is It Your Business?
Is It Your Business?
I am sure that everyone reading this story has seen dozens of articles or news stories about the opioid crisis that we have been experiencing in this country over the last decade. This crisis has hit Ohio particularly hard. Families and friends struggle to help loved ones find treatment centers and begin a journey towards a drug free life.
Once in treatment it is critical that a recovering client find meaningful ways to occupy their time. One of the most valuable tools for a recovering person is employment. Work provides an individual in recovery the ability to build confidence and self-worth by experiencing success as they complete tasks. Work helps a person feel like they are a contributing member of society. Many people consider employment a primary way to measure a person’s value to society.
Work provides many benefits to an individual in recovery:
- It provides a stable source of income.
- It helps develop responsibility.
- Builds self-esteem.
- Provides structure.
- Helps integrate an individual back into mainstream society.
- It provides the opportunity for productive new relationships.
- It establishes a sense of independence that contributes to reduction to returning to drugs/alcohol.
Many recovering persons are unemployed prior to treatment, especially opiate use disorder clients. For the unemployed without regular job responsibilities, drugs provide structure for the day. Obtaining and using drugs becomes a substitute for employment.
That is one of the reasons that the role of employment in treatment is so critical. It is not only an element of treatment, but it is also a desired outcome. Besides contributing to positive outcomes in treatment, employment plays an important role in retention of sobriety and reduction of the occurrence and severity of relapse. Research also reports that employment reduces criminal activity as well.
At Moore Counseling and Mediation Services, Inc. we are working hard with our clients to help them with obtaining gainful employment. We offer a program that will help prepare our clients to be responsible employees and add value to the workforce. Each client receives an employment and education assessment. Based on the findings of the assessments clients will either begin employment skills training or begin coaching toward employment placement. Each client will receive skills training such as professionalism, time management and conflict resolution to name a few. Clients will also receive training in resume writing and interview skills. Each client will have an employment case manager that will work with them and the employer throughout the process and even after hire to assist with ongoing training and development. The case manager will also work with the employer to help with maintaining the successful employee. We are hoping if you are reading this article and you have a need for professional employees that you will consider contacting us to interview a client that we have prepared to be your next best employee. Please contact Kenya Wordlaw at 216-486-1900.
Dr. Martina Moore
Dr. Martina Moore holds a Ph.D. in counseling, education, and supervision. She is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and a Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor-Clinical Supervisor. She holds a Master’s degree from John Carroll University in Community Counseling and Human Services, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Notre Dame College in Psychology. She is a trained Gestalt Family Therapist, from the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland. Martina is also a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP), a Certified Mediator, and a Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP). Dr. Moore is faculty at John Carroll University where she is the substance use disorder coordinator in the Department of Counseling. She is also an instructor at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland.