BY: JACQUELINE PITTS
The Kentucky business, recovery, and education community gathered to discuss hiring, training, and retaining individuals in recovery from substance use disorder at the Kentucky Chamber’s 5th Annual Recovery in the Workplace Conference on Tuesday.
Kicking off the event, Kentucky Chamber Foundation Workforce Center Executive Director LaKisha Miller kicked off the day discussing the many successes seen in the business community around programming through the Foundation including the Kentucky Transformational Employment Program, Fair Chance Academy, and much more.
Miller also noted the partnerships the Foundation has with state government that allows for a direct connection between those leaving incarceration and the business community. She noted more than 13,000 individuals are released each year in Kentucky and ways that are identified to ensure successful reentry including addressing substance use disorder (SUD) and securing employment which she said the Foundation and its programs are happy to play a role in that incredible ecosystem across the state.
As for the state of recovery in Kentucky, Office of Drug Control Policy Executive Director Van Ingram touted the success of those programs and the partnership between the two entities to ensure individuals are being connected with open positions and also noted the incredible recovery programs Kentucky is home to. However, he stressed there is more work to be done and warned that fentanyl was involved in 73% of overdose deaths.
“When today is over, we will have lost six more Kentuckians to this disease. And law enforcement, public health, treatment, recovery, and others cannot solve this problem alone. It takes all of us,” Ingram said. “These are not bad people trying to do good. They are sick people trying to get well.”
Ingram also discussed steps being taken in the legislature including House Bill 248 focused on ensuring quality recovery housing which was signed into law by the governor last week.