Rutgers Health and NJ Department of Labor Launch Partnership to Empower Workers in Recovery

Pathways to Recovery launches new website to help workers impacted by the opioid crisis find stigma-free employment

Rutgers Health, in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL), has launched the Pathways to Recovery website to help New Jersey residents impacted by the opioid crisis find employment opportunities in supportive workplaces, and assist employers in becoming certified as Recovery-Friendly Workplaces.

The website shares resources for individuals in recovery and employers, including links to organizations that help connect grantees with employers; application requirements for earning the Recovery-Friendly Workplace credential; as well as testimonials of individuals in recovery and success stories.

“Employment is fundamental for people to maintain their recovery. However, often there is fear or stigma related to employing people who are in recovery,” said Nina Cooperman, associate professor, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, who leads the project for Rutgers Health. “A recovery-friendly employer is knowledgeable about how to support their employees’ recovery long term as well as how to recognize if an employee has a substance use disorder and facilitate support.”

A recovery-friendly employer is knowledgeable about how to support their employees’ recovery long term as well as how to recognize if an employee has a substance use disorder and facilitate support.

Nina Cooperman

Associate Professor, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

The website is the latest initiative of Pathways to Recovery, a statewide program that supports New Jersey residents who have been impacted by the opioid crisis in securing stable, unsubsidized employment through training opportunities, supportive services and career services.

“As New Jersey continues to address the opioid epidemic, it’s crucial that we create pathways to sustainable employment for those in recovery,” said Robert Asaro-Angelo, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. “NJDOL’s partnership with Rutgers Health has been vital to this effort, and the new Pathways to Recovery website is a critical tool for providing the resources and support needed to foster understanding and inclusivity in the workplace. Together, we can build a workforce that values and supports recovery, paving the way for healthier communities across New Jersey.”

As New Jersey continues to address the opioid epidemic, it’s crucial that we create pathways to sustainable employment for those in recovery. NJDOL’s partnership with Rutgers Health has been vital to this effort.

Robert Asaro-Angelo

Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development

The Pathways to Recovery program was created in 2019 as part of Governor Phil Murphy’s multi-faceted, multi-agency strategy to combat the state’s opioid crisis, beginning in the state’s six hardest-hit counties and expanding to the entire state in 2024. The program has established more than 1,600 employer partnerships and has served over 4,350 participants since its inception.

Since 2019, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School’s Division of Addiction Psychiatry has helped Pathways to Recovery bridge the gaps between employers and grantees to help individuals impacted by the opioid crisis seek recovery-friendly employment. The Pathways to Recovery Toolkit addresses the stigma people in recovery face when entering the workforce. The toolkit teaches employers how to create supportive environments and become credentialed as a Recovery-Friendly Workplace.