UC students provide job coaching for people in recovery

Riley Jerow, a University of Cincinnati student, sat across a table from three patients at the Center for Addiction Treatment who had little in common apart from their desire to get better.

Jerow is taking part in a new UC service-learning project in which students create a curriculum designed to help people in recovery write resumes and cover letters, apply for jobs and prepare for interviews. Then the students put their plan to work at the treatment center, where they provide one-on-one job coaching.

The job-seekers were born years apart and have different educational backgrounds and work histories. But each welcomed Jerow’s job-coaching help.

“I appreciate her coming down to help us,” one told another during a break.

The project demonstrates UC's commitment to making a positive urban impact for Greater Cincinnati as described in its strategic direction called Next Lives Here.

Robert Hyland, an associate professor of English and comparative literature, created the project after surveys of the center’s patients found their biggest priority was re-employment.

“They were looking for help with digital job-searching skills and reentry into the workforce,” Hyland said.

“Finding employment is important for their sustained recovery,” Hyland said.

The center serves a diverse population by age, educational background and work experience, he said.

“So it is a challenge and a good learning experience for students. They did a great job of identifying priority areas for the training by surveying patients at the center and then coming up with a curriculum to address primary skills that anyone entering the workforce will need to get their foot in the door,” he said.

The treatment center is decorated with the patients’ artwork. In a meeting room, a hand-lettered watercolor reads: “God, please help me to laugh again but please don’t let me forget that I cried.”

The patients clicked away on laptops while Jerow answered their questions.

A mural in the center’s cafeteria is dedicated to the patients’ friends and family members who succumbed to addiction. It’s plastered with hundreds of names of loved ones. In the wake of the opioid crisis, people are beginning to realize how prevalent addiction is, UC’s Hyland said.

“Not only is employment important for the individual’s health and well-being, but it’s also critically important to our regional economy,” he said.

According to the White House Council of Economic Advisers, the opiate crisis costs billions of dollars each year in healthcare, treatment, criminal justice expenses and lost productivity.

“It’s not pennies we’re talking about. So the impact of addiction creates larger ripples,” Hyland said.

Joshua Brown, a peer counselor at the Center for Addiction Treatment, knows what it’s like to start over after addiction. The former OB-GYN is in recovery from drug dependency. Now he helps others rebuild their lives while he works to regain his medical license.

Brown said finding employment can be a big help for people in recovery. Besides filling the hours with meaningful work, it provides a welcome distraction from personal stresses.

“It gives your life purpose, which is important,” he said.

Featured image at top: UC College of Arts and Sciences student Riley Jerow coaches job-seekers at the Center for Addiction Treatment. Photo/Colleen Kelley/UC Creative Services