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    Workforce Development

    Opioid Programs

    L&I is hosting two distinct training series to further support those impacted by the opioid crisis and other substance use disorders and to ensure the sustainability of the efforts implemented during the grant period. Our efforts to address workforce challenges resulting from the opioid crisis are outlined in Opioid Crisis infographic.

    Register for Employer Series
    Register for Recovery Coach Series

    Opioid Programs: Background

    The Office of the Attorney General in Pennsylvania has declared the Opioid Crisis the number one public health and public safety crisis the Commonwealth faces today. The economic cost of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) to Pennsylvania taxpayers in 2016 was $53.77 billion – this includes opioid-related costs, health care spending, addiction treatment costs, costs to the criminal justice system, and the costs related to lost productivity. It is important to note that historically, the highest overdose rate occurs in the 25 to 54-year-old age range, representing the bulk of the labor force.

    Pennsylvania’s workforce approach to combating the effects of this crisis leverages the understanding that gaining and maintaining employment is a central component in recovery for many individuals, including lower relapse rates. We believe that by mindfully creating more supportive work environments for those in recovery, we can tap into a valuable segment of the labor force and, perhaps more importantly, improve employee well-being, increase workplace productivity, and decrease employee turnover and healthcare costs.

    As outlined in a 2020 US Department of Labor report on this topic, there are at least three overarching strategies one can leverage that lead to a positive impact when addressing this crisis from a workforce perspective. They are reintegration strategies, all of which are encompassed in our grant activities.

    1. Providing employment support to those affected
    2. Helping employers support those in recovery, including the provision of educational programs aimed at dispelling stigma and bias
    3. Transition-focused approaches such as programs aimed at developing/supporting the health care workforce and related fields which are experiencing vast shortages by providing the financial support for this workforce to attend training and receive the education necessary to develop and sustain their employment. 

    Opioid Programs Strategy

    In April 2024, Pennsylvania was awarded the National Dislocated Worker Grant to Address the Opioid Crisis. By leveraging the three overarching strategies outlined below, L&I and 11 subgrantee local workforce development boards (LWDBs) engage in any combination of the grant activities per their needs and capacity. Parallel to the grant activities, L&I is hosting two distinct training series to further support those impacted by the opioid crisis and other substance use disorders.

    Through the direct service provision of the subgrantees and L&I’s education efforts, Pennsylvania is addressing the opioid crisis's impact on the workforce comprehensively and holistically with data-driven interventions that provide support from different angles and at different stages of recovery. 

    Participants supplement training fund limits, alleviating the cost burden that inhibits dislocated worker enrollment in programs that would lead to employment in emerging and in-demand fields that have an impact on the opioid epidemic, including but not limited to first responders, health care staff, pain management staff, and mental health treatment staff.

    • L&I and participating LWDBs collaborate with community addiction treatment centers, including the state's Centers of Excellence (COEs), to deliver in-location Title I career services and referrals by qualified career coaches. This partnership is a key element of our strategy, mirroring the services provided at PA CareerLink®.
    • L&I is hosting a Recovery Coach Workforce Education Series. This is a five-part training series for treatment and recovery professionals designed and delivered by Pitt PERU. These sessions share research-backed insights on the importance of employment on the road to recovery and provide practical strategies to motivate and keep clients with SUD more engaged. Additionally, it educates participants about PA CareerLink® employment services, processes, and resources.
    • Hiring a Title I dedicated staff with mental health or trauma training or experience. This wellness coach or dedicated recovery specialist could carry a lower caseload than the typical PA CareerLink® case manager or provide specific career services such as individual counseling. The caseload would be comprised of individuals who identify that they would benefit from such services and activities as outlined during intake, including wellness coaching, recovery career services, job search, and employer relationship support. Alternatively, a site may hire a Title I staffer who provides "in-depth interviewing and evaluation to identify employment barriers and appropriate employment goals" to any Title I enrolled individual directly or indirectly impacted by the opioid crisis.
    • Disaster-Relief Employment. Pennsylvania’s North Central WDB will hire one Certified Recovery Specialist, one Certified Peer Specialist, and one Peer Advocate/Mentor. The Luzerne/Schuylkill WDB will hire one Peer Navigator. Each of these positions is designed to provide direct assistance to the individual hire by securing and maintaining occupations that will provide both a living wage and a solid direction forward; they will provide much-needed employment support services to other individuals affected by the opioid epidemic. To ensure these services remain available past the grant period, local areas will look at potentially leveraging existing funds from other grants, such as WIOA.

    Pennsylvania is further supporting the reintegration of individuals who volunteer that they have been impacted by the opioid crisis into the workforce by providing additional training services in any profession.

    Project ECHO at Penn State developed and is delivering an 8-session workforce development series for Pennsylvania employers to dispel stigma and provide education and strategies around hiring individuals with a history of substance use disorder.

    LWDBs engaging in this grant activity will be responsible for conducting outreach to promote participation and cultivate ongoing supportive relationships with employers at a local level. PA CareerLink® sites—regardless of their subgrantee status—may opt to join training sessions virtually and host in-office events where they can lead group discussions with local employers and establish relationships that will lead to further support in creating more recovery-friendly workplaces.

    Opioid Programs

    Resource Guide for Employers

    A guide for employers supporting individuals with substance-use disorder, including state and federal protections and additional resources.

    Employer Guide

    Additional Resources