A Bridge to Hope

We can never get a re-creation of community and heal our society without giving our citizens a sense of belonging. ~ Patch Adams

Homelessness and unemployment are persistent barriers to sustainable recovery. It is virtually impossible to sustain ones recovery living under a bridge. ~ Tim Cheney

The only difference between a derelict and a man is a job. ~ Movie-My Man Godfrey (1936)

The  Recovery Job Fair will be held on October 11, 2018 at the Portland Expo Center and is presented by ENSO Recovery in collaboration with The City of Portland, The York County Sheriff’s Department, The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department, The Town of Sanford Police Department and the Town of Kennebunk Police Department.

We at ENSO Recovery witness the destruction and hopelessness wreaked by addiction everyday and understand that the road back is riddled with discriminatory barriers that appear to the traveler to be insurmountable. We are committed to creating repeatable, sustainable community based solutions to eliminate or bypass these barriers to social inclusion. Daily, national media sensationalize the opioid epidemic focusing on its destruction to personal and family life yet fails to report the recovery successes or explore solutions. We all know someone who has been affected whether it be a neighbor, friend or family member.

We have historically and mistakenly looked to Washington and State agencies to solve the problem but their capabilities are limited to providing economic support and technical assistance to address this epidemic. The Government did not create the problem and certainly cannot solve the problem. This is a community problem and must be addressed at the community level. We at ENSO Recovery believe that addiction is in large part a manifestation of a systemic societal problem characterized by dislocation, social isolation, economic and racial disparity and the erosion of informal social controls and community. We all need to belong. We all need to have meaning and purpose.

The solution lies in individual communities implementing collaborative strategies that foster the development and support of initiatives that encourage and sustain recovery. We have identified the following variables associated with employment as having significant psychological and sociological impact on sustainable recovery:

1. Self Efficacy
   1. Learning to meet challenges
   2. Personal Growth in Recovery
2. Identity
   1. Feeling “normal”
   2. Disassociating from addict identity
3. Belonging
   1. Feeling part of the community rather than an outsider or “deviant”
   2. Relationships – in work and in community
4. Instrumental
   1. Structure
   2. Finances
   3. Nature of Employment

 This event will have three objectives:

1. Educate attendees on the role of employment in the recovery process
2. Provide a forum to discuss, brainstorm design and begin a collaborative community employment initiative for persons in recovery
3. Develop a community based replicable model to connect employers with persons in recovery seeking employment.

We encourage you to share with area employers, colleagues and persons in recovery and friends of recovery.