INSPIRE initiative awards Pennsylvania $1.5M for workforce projects

The Appalachian Regional Commission’s INvestments Supporting Partnerships In Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) initiative recently awarded Pennsylvania more than $1.5 million in grants to help people with substance use disorder (SUD) successfully get a job or re-enter the workforce.

Funding was divided among four projects.

The Crawford County Drug and Alcohol Executive Committee received $48,604 for its Pathways to Education and Employment in Recovery Program. The program will develop a consortium with the goal of identifying access to services for successful permanent employment opportunities for individuals in recovery.

Pennsylvania Organization for Women in Early Recovery received $500,000 for its POWER Programs Growth and Recovery project that expands job training and employment support in 14 Appalachian counties through partnerships.

Workforce Solutions for North Central Pennsylvania received $500,000 for its PROSPER – From Recovery to Career program. The program will provide SUD-awareness training to local businesses, certify more recovery specialists and provide customized career planning services.

FAVOR Western PA received $500,000 to create Recovery Community Organization to bolster local work force opportunities and recovery ecosystems in eight counties across the Laurel Highlands.

INSPIRE awardees will support the SUD recover-to-employment continuum in seven Appalachian states by training and certifying recovery specialists, expanding peer recovery support networks, launching recovery-to-work programs and more.