Berlin jumps in to aid individuals’ recovery

The Town of Berlin should be commended for joining Hope4Recovery and Worcester Goes Purple in a program to reintroduce recovering addicts to the workplace and to help them reclaim their place in society.

By agreeing to take on former substance abusers as employees so they can fill in the blanks on their resumes, the town is doing the right thing for the right reason: helping those who wish to help themselves.

That is to say, people who have been all the way down and earnestly want to stay straight and contribute to society deserve a second chance, which is what these organizations and the town are aiming to provide.

Realistically, employment by the town is a stepping stone or a starting point and not a long-term situation. It will give the selected individuals the opportunity to demonstrate their desire to assume responsibility for themselves and the tasks assigned. Employment with the town will also allow these employees to prove their reliability, answering beforehand a big question prospective employers will most certainly ask.

The goal, of course, is not just to help these individuals  get back on track, but also to open the door for them  in their pursuit of their full potential.

As for the financial risk of joining the program, there is none. These are part-time jobs, with the town’s share of the state’s Opioid Restitution Fund being used to cover the costs of these additional personnel.

Money from the fund, which comes from the proceeds of opioid-related legal action, must be used to help people who were addicted to prescription opioids, have broken free of that deadly entanglement and are seeking higher ground personally, morally and financially.

It won’t be easy, which is why Berlin’s participation is so important to the program’s success. A good reference from a legitimate employer like the Town of Berlin would go a long way toward showing other employers that these are workers  on whom they can depend.