This report documents the experiences of five programs, including ATR, that integrate employment services into treatment and recovery programs for people with substance use disorder (SUD). (Treatment services treat SUD directly, and recovery services support success in the recovery process, during or after treatment.) One of the aspects of the ATR program explored in this report is the importance of ATR’s relationships with providers and the emphasis on offering job training programs specifically for individuals with a history in the criminal legal system.
The report describes the experiences of programs in relation to three critical aspects of program design and implementation:
- Structuring programs to integrate employment services with treatment and recovery services
- Designing employment services to address the specific needs of people with SUD
- Providing support services and connecting people with SUD with jobs appropriate for them
Programs that combine employment services with SUD treatment and recovery services are being studied as part of the Building Evidence on Employment Strategies (BEES) Project, funded by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation in the Administration for Children and Families within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In addition to providing evidence on the impact of such programs, BEES is documenting the characteristics and operations of SUD employment programs through this descriptive study and other reports on program implementation.