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Pennsylvania State Senate
04/18/2024 07:34 PM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20190&cosponId=26793
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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: December 5, 2018 01:23 PM
From: Senator Wayne Langerholc, Jr.
To: All Senate members
Subject: Recovery to Work Pilot Program
 
In the near future, I plan to re-introduce the Recovery to Work Pilot Program (SB 1224) which will assist in combating the heroin and opioid epidemic in the Commonwealth.

The goal of the pilot program is to connect individuals in recovery with occupations through local workforce development boards. An important, yet often overlooked, side effect of this epidemic is the vicious cycle that many individuals fall into when trying to find, secure, and maintain steady employment with a history of a substance use disorder. Meaningful employment is essential to an individual’s long-term recovery as it provides a renewed sense of purpose and will help make for a healthier and more prosperous community.

The pilot program will be spearheaded by the Department of Labor & Industry with the assistance of the Department of Health, the Department of Community and Economic Development, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. These departments will develop a plan for the local workforce development boards to work with the treatment and recovery community as well as local employers and training providers to offer job training and employment opportunities to individuals in recovery.

Since the local workforce development boards will be leading the implementation of the pilot program, the strategies will be locally focused to meet the needs of local employers and the local treatment and recovery community. Additionally, the legislation will provide incentives for businesses and training providers to participate in the program.

Pennsylvania is heading in the right direction with our continued attention to this serious epidemic. As we continue to focus on identifying risk-factors, treating those with serious substance use disorders and working to end the epidemic in the Commonwealth, we need to provide options for the future of those who we are helping.

Previous co-sponsors to this legislation were Scarnati, Gordner, Browne, Brewster, Mensch, Aument, Baker, Yaw, Stefano and Bartolotta.

Please join me in co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation.

Introduced as SB118