Recovery At Work

Ten16 Recovery Network is excited to join a new pilot in Michigan with the Workforce Ready Solutions Hub. This project will make employment support a larger part of recovery.

For many in recovery, finding and keeping a job is a key step to lasting stability. Work offers structure, purpose, income, connection, and confidence. Still, returning to work can be hard. People may rebuild after treatment, repair relationships, face transportation or legal problems, explain gaps in their work history, or manage new job stress.

This pilot will provide our recovery coaches with enhanced strategies to guide people through their employment journey. The Workforce Ready Solutions Hub uses a supported employment approach called the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model. IPS is based on a few main ideas. People get help to find real jobs that match their interests. Support begins as soon as they are ready, not after a long wait. Help continues after they start working so they can handle any job challenges.

For Ten16, this approach fits our recovery coaching model. Our coaches already help people build recovery skills, set goals, create routines, and stay connected to support. Now, coaches will have more tools to help participants see work as part of recovery. Work is not separate from recovery. It is one way to make recovery stronger and longer-lasting.

This also connects with Ten16’s Recovery-Friendly Workplace initiative. Through it, Ten16 helps local employers learn about substance use disorder, recovery, stigma, and supportive workplace practices. Employers see why fair chances matter. The pilot adds support for employees in recovery. It helps them get ready for work, while the program helps employers create recovery-friendly workplaces.

Ten16’s work is also linked to the SPARK Grant from the Midland County United Way. This supports our partnership with The Legacy Center for Community Success. That project aimed to create a path from recovery to employment by combining education, coaching, and connection. The pilot continues that vision. Recovery does not end with treatment; it grows through purpose, opportunity, and belonging.
As this pilot moves forward, Ten16 will help people in recovery get and keep jobs. We will help them build confidence and find strengths. We will help manage work stress, connect with supportive employers, and stay involved in coaching after they start work.

This is an exciting step in Ten16’s commitment to recovery, career growth, and involvement. When people in recovery receive work support, the benefits go beyond a single job. Families grow stronger. Employers gain dedicated workers. The whole community sees recovery as strength, contribution, and hope.