Chaplin, KY – Isaiah House Treatment Center is expanding its job training and employment program, “From Crisis to Opportunity” thanks to a $150,000 grant and a low-interest loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program is part of the USDA’s Community Facilities Initiative to combat the opioid addiction crisis. Grants support innovative solutions that best address substance abuse in rural communities. According to the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy, 1,565 Kentuckians died from drug overdoses in 2017, a 40 percent increase in the past five years.
“Recovering addicts often struggle with the stigma of addiction, criminal records and poor performance at previous jobs because of erratic, addictive behavior. Many have little job experience or training and almost all are unemployed by the time they seek treatment,” said Mike Cox, Isaiah House president. “But self-sufficiency, the ability to support their families and to make financial amends for the past are all critical to the healing process. Fortunately, residential treatment provides the time and resources to help them overcome employment challenges.”
In addition to Howard’s Metals, Isaiah House also operates an onsite vocational center, GED classes, college classes and other business enterprises to give clients job experience including Isaiah 58 Builders and Clean Cut Landscaping. Clients also earn wages to pay child support, legal fees, court restitution, and other treatment and personal expenses including establishing savings accounts.
