A group of five people are seated listening to a presenter speak at a podium. That is a Transformational Employment Workshop presentation screen behind them.

Fahe’s Transformation Employment Program Expands to 6 New Counties

appalachia, Community Health, Economic Opportunity | June 29, 2020

On June 10, 2020 with the approval of the Appalachian Regional Commission, Fahe’s Transformational Employment Program was able to expand our service area from Harlan, Jackson, Knox, Laurel, Pulaski, and Rockcastle Counties to now include Bell, Clay, Leslie, Letcher, Perry, and Whitley Counties, increasing our total reach to twelve counties in Appalachia.

Fahe’s Transformational Employment Program is an 8-month internship that connects people in drug recovery with meaningful employment in the region.  For potential employers this program mitigates some of the risk associated with hiring people in recovery. Fahe pays for the internship and training of the employee and provides paid training and a stipend for the employer; with the understanding the employer will hire the participant on successful completion of the program.  The employers participating in this program not only gain access to workers and training but also help support their local community by providing opportunity for employment, a proven component of success for people  in the long term recovery process.

We would like to send our thanks to the following organizations for their recent participation with Fahe’s Transformational Employment Program:

  • Backroads of Appalachia in Harlan County, which promotes adventure tourism with Dragon Slayer 160.
  • SEKRI in Harlan County, which produces over a million military caps a year, along with first aid kits and fire retardant garments to name a few items.
  • HOPE City in Knox County, which is a women’s Transitional Housing program.
  • Fahe Member Housing Development Alliance in Perry County brings affordable housing and home repairs to the Breathitt, Knott, Leslie, and Perry County areas and will be using their interns for the construction program.
  • Subway of Hyden in Leslie County provides a great lunch and dinner option to the residents of Leslie County.
  • The City of Manchester in Clay County is using their intern to keep up the landscaping and parks around Manchester.
  • Moonbow Tipple Coffee & Sweets in Harlan County provides gourmet coffee and treats to the Harlan County community.
  • Perry County Fiscal Court in Perry County is using their interns to help maintain the county parks.
  • Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation (MCHC) in Letcher County is using their interns to help maintain MCHC properties and provide administrative assistance.

Individuals in recovery for substance use disorders  need socialization to help in their recovery. Getting back to work gives them a boost in self-confidence and pride. In a recent study from PubMed Central (PMC), employees in recovery are less likely to miss work, be late or jump from employer to employer than a typical employee.

The Fahe Transformational Employment Program is one of the many ways we are addressing the opioid epidemic by utilizing our existing expertise, collaborative capacity, and deep community relationships.  The Transformational Employment Program is providing people with the opportunity to change their lives while lifting the stigma around people in the recovery process.

To learn more about Fahe’s recovery work and other initiatives, please subscribe to our blog for regular updates.

For more information, please contact Project Manager James Caudill via email at jcaudill@fahe.org or 606.438.5837.