Most individuals finish an addiction treatment recovery program hoping to contribute to society in a meaningful way. Not being able to find employment and lacking necessary workplace skills can put a damper on that expectation. Facing daunting employment and career development issues can also interfere with an individual’s sense of self-worth.
That’s why, at Genesis Recovery, we offer job readiness training to help newly recovered individuals learn valuable skills, as well as ways to solve problems, communicate effectively, and work as a team. Finding a job after recovery can help individuals build healthier relationships, provide for their families, and boost their self-esteem, which helps prevent relapse and maintain their long-term recovery.
What Is Job Readiness Training?
Research conducted by addiction specialists shows that individuals in recovery who have gainful employment are more likely to remain abstinent and live substance-free lives. At its core, job readiness training teaches clients how to get a job and how to perform their duties well. At the same time, job readiness programs also help cultivate some of the essential principles valued in the workplace. At Genesis Recovery, individuals learn how to:
- Effectively search for jobs
- Address their previous leave of absence from work, if necessary
- Highlight and use their interests, strengths, and personality types in the workplace
- Overcome limiting beliefs about their ability to find a job
- Talk about, explain, and overcome barriers to employment such as criminal records and childcare challenges
- Develop work-readiness and interpersonal skills
The benefits of job readiness training can also extend far beyond workplace preparation and the development of interpersonal and soft skills. In fact, there are 3 main reasons why we incorporate job readiness and training into our treatment programs.
Why Is Job Readiness A Vital Part of Addiction Treatment?
Behavioral health experts, individuals in recovery, and family and friends of individuals battling substance abuse all know that addiction doesn’t just damage the physical body. Addiction can weaken the human spirit, strain relationships, change an individual’s character, lower their self-esteem, increase their risk of mental health conditions, and contribute to socio-economic troubles like poverty and homelessness.
As a result, we offer job readiness training to help combat many of the damaging effects of addiction. Our program:
- Teaches individuals valuable life skills that can help revive their spirit, restore relationships, and rebuild healthy character traits
- Helps prevent homelessness and other socio-economic challenges that can contribute to depression and mental health challenges
- Helps individuals regain their independence and boost their self-esteem, self-worth, and hope for a better future
Job Readiness Helps Individuals Develop Valuable Life Skills
Most addicted individuals isolate themselves and manipulate, deceive, and lie to others to maintain their habit. Working at a job requires a completely different set of skills and behaviors. Instead of isolating themselves, most employees work together as a team. Instead of manipulation and deception, healthy workplace relationships rely on trust, honesty, and camaraderie. Job readiness training at Genesis helps recovering individuals relearn valuable skills that can help them succeed at a job and in their personal lives.
In our job readiness training program, individuals in recovery learn to:
- Set and Reach Goals. When individuals grapple with addiction, experiencing a “high” typically becomes their main goal. Job readiness works to combat that. In vocational training, individuals learn how to set and obtain realistic goals. Even setting and reaching a goal of applying to a certain number of jobs a week can help individuals in recovery learn to keep their promises. Learning to effectively set and reach life goals can help teach individuals perseverance and endurance. Learning to keep their word to themselves and others can help recovering individuals rebuild strained relationships. Setting and reaching goals can also help individuals perform well, and in turn, get promoted at work.
- Communicate Effectively and Honestly. Communicating honestly and effectively is a major component of job readiness. By building healthy communication skills, recovering individuals can learn to successfully interact with their boss and coworkers as well as their friends and family members.
- Work As Part of a Team. In addition to learning how to find employment, our job readiness training emphasizes the importance of performing well once individuals have a job. That includes working as part of a team. By learning to work well with others, individuals in recovery can develop:
- Empathy for others
- Better listening skills
- An “others mindset”
- Trust
Working as a team can also help reiterate some of the lessons learned in family therapy and group counseling sessions.
Job Readiness Helps Prevent Homelessness and Socio-economic Challenges
Leaving recovery and transitioning back into everyday life can be one of the toughest challenges for individuals in early recovery. If individuals don’t find work right away, they can be overwhelmed by stress which can increase their risk of relapse. In fact, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 38% of homeless people are alcohol dependent. Unemployment can also trigger mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Here’s how the unfortunate cycle typically works:
- Experiencing unemployment after treatment increases the risk of relapse.
- Prolonged job loss can cause under-the-radar mental health crises that weaken people’s confidence and sense of identity.
- Mental health disorders can contribute to an unsuccessful job search, triggering drug cravings that can lead to relapse.
Luckily, job readiness training helps combat homelessness and socio-economic troubles by helping individuals in recovery obtain and maintain gainful employment.
Job Readiness Helps Individuals Regain Independence
Having a healthy sense of self-worth is especially vital during the early stages of recovery. Individuals need to know that they can regain their independence and work toward a better, healthier future for themselves and their loved ones. Finding and keeping a job they love can help give recovering individuals the boost of confidence they need to stay sober. Similarly, being able to provide for their family can help individuals feel a great sense of accomplishment and self-worth. Job readiness can also:
- Keep individuals motivated
- Prepare individuals to deal with and solve life challenges like unemployment and stress
- Teach individuals how to be self-motivated
- Combat the negative stigma associated with addiction
Preparing Individuals for Life Beyond Rehab
At Genesis Recovery, our mission is to restore lives negatively impacted by addiction. Part of that mission includes preparing individuals for life outside of rehab. In addition to helping you overcome addiction challenges, our multi-faceted treatment programs can help you:
- Build vocational skills and find gainful employment
- Develop a healthy community and reliable support system
- Learn life skills that may make you less vulnerable to relapse
- Repair strained relationships
- Regain your confidence
- Reinvigorate your spirit
Contact us today if you or a loved one are looking for a rehab center that can help you overcome addiction and successfully prepare you for the next chapter of your life.
