Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
(Music)
Today we'll be talking about obtaining and retaining
employment for people in recovery.
I work with unemployed people.
That's my focus-people who are in shelters or
receiving welfare benefits.
When we find out that they have mental health or substance
abuse issues, then we find that the substance abuse is
a barrier to the employment, but
a lack of employment is a barrier to their recovery.
So it's get a job, get a better job, get a career, and
at the same time, addressing all of their barriers,
whether they're mental health or substance abuse.
People in recovery from mental health and substance abuse,
they really are an asset.
And the asset is that you're getting someone who is
going to be very committed.
And the reason is because they have been
through a trying time in their lives.
Just because we're recovering addicts doesn't mean that
we don't want to work.
We're recovering addicts that want to work.
You know, we want to be productive members of society.
Whether it took us 35 years to do it,
it really doesn't matter.
But if somebody is going to give me the opportunity
to go out there and be productive, then let me do it.
Don't judge me because of my past.
It's not who I was, it's who I am.
We are sick people who can get well;
we are not bad people who have to get good.
As sick people, we sometimes do bad things,
but that doesn't make us bad people.
And I've said that a million times to many, many, many of
my clients and that has really made a difference.