The Importance Of Work In Recovery

There are many elements that go into a successful recovery from addiction to drugs or alcohol.

The process starts with a man accepting that he needs help, and being willing to take the first step of seeking it out.

He needs to work with others he trusts, such as the licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistants and other licensed staffers at The Refuge in individual and group counseling to begin to identify and address the underlying issues which drove him to addiction in the first place. 

He needs to build relationships based on trust and mutual support with others to provide accountability and someone to talk to when he is struggling.

However, work is also an important part of the recovery process. At The Refuge, after completing his first month, a man begins working with one of our partner employers. This not only provides a healthy daily structure, it also allows him to do something meaningful and productive, while building a work history that will help him get and keep gainful employment after he completes The Refuge. 

In a survey of our 2018-2020 alumni released in 2021, an incredible 92 percent reported that they had been continuously employed in a full-time job since completing. This allows a man to not only maintain that healthy daily routine, but also to provide financially for himself, and his family. 

In this episode of The Relational Recovery Podcast, Wes Thompson, the executive director of The Refuge, and Austin Hill, the associate director, talk about the important role that work plays in recovery.