Drug Epidemic & Recovery To Work

Jun 30

The Heart of the Matter

I've seen this crisis from every angle it can be seen from. As an ER nurse, a former paramedic, and an investigator in the county coroner's office, I've witnessed the overdoses, the broken families, the lost potential. I've also seen people recover, when they're given real structure and a real chance.

We cannot arrest or treat our way out of this alone. Enforcement matters. It isn't the whole answer.

Here's the other half: a two-track pipeline that takes someone out of recovery and puts them into a job — and it costs Lawrence County taxpayers nothing.

No diploma? Ohio's new Adult Workforce Diploma Program, launching July 1, 2026, is free for any adult without one — a state diploma and a real credential, at no cost to the participant or the county.

Have a diploma or GED? Collins Career Center already trains welders, electricians, HVAC techs, CDL drivers, and healthcare workers, right here in Lawrence County, often WIOA-funded.

Ready to hire? The Ohio Recovery Friendly Workplace designation gives local employers state recognition, free training, and real financial incentives for second-chance hiring.

Rehab and drug court refer people in. Collins and the Adult Workforce Diploma Program train them. Recovery Friendly employers hire them. Lawrence County keeps the workforce it already paid to save.

The county's part costs nothing but leadership. Every dollar of funding is state or federal. My job is coordination, not a new expense.

And for those who want it, a voluntary Christ-Centered Recovery track runs alongside the secular program — open to anyone, required of no one.

Treatment gets you clean. A job keeps you busy. For a lot of people, faith fills the rest. I'll make sure every door is open.

No Strings. No Secrets. No Standing By.

[Read the Full Recovery-to-Work Plan ↓]

How We Actually Get It Done

The Problem

Lawrence County has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic and addiction crisis. As an ER nurse, former paramedic, and coroner's office investigator, I've witnessed the devastation firsthand — the overdoses, the broken families, the lost potential. I've also seen people recover when given real structure and real opportunity. We cannot arrest or treat our way out of this crisis alone. Enforcement is essential. It's only part of the answer.

A note on cost: none of this comes from county tax dollars. Every program in this pipeline is funded at the state or federal level — free to participants, free to the county. The only thing the county contributes is leadership and coordination.

The Two-Track Pipeline

Not everyone coming out of recovery starts from the same place. Recovery-to-Work meets people where they are, and gives them a clear path forward.

Track 1 — Adult Workforce Diploma, for those without a diploma or GED.

Starting July 1, 2026, Ohio's new Adult Workforce Diploma Program is available, free, for any Ohioan 18 or older without a high school diploma or equivalency. Participants earn a state-issued diploma and an industry-recognized credential aligned to Ohio's in-demand jobs. Zero cost to participants. Zero cost to Lawrence County taxpayers.

Providers include community colleges, career centers, and workforce development organizations. The next provider application window opens spring 2027. Our plan: work with Collins Career Center and Ohio University Southern to apply as a provider, so rehab facilities, drug courts, and recovery centers can refer people directly into the program.

Track 2 — Collins Career Center Trades, for those with a diploma or GED who need job skills.

Collins Career Center already has the infrastructure right here in Lawrence County: Electricity (NCCER and OSHA certifications), Welding, HVAC, Heavy Equipment Operator, Auto Mechanics, CDL Academy, and healthcare pathways in Practical Nursing, Paramedic, Surgical Technology, and Respiratory Therapy.

Many of these programs have no WorkKeys requirement. Some take as little as nine months. WIOA funding can cover tuition for eligible students, and Collins offers ASPIRE and GED preparation at its Chesapeake campus and the One Stop in Ironton, so even someone starting from scratch has an on-ramp. Again: county taxpayers aren't on the hook. Federal WIOA dollars, state workforce funds, and existing education budgets cover the cost.

The Employer Side: Ohio Recovery Friendly Workplace

People need somewhere to go after they train. The Ohio Recovery Friendly Workplace designation is a free, voluntary program for employers who commit to at least five of nine best practices for hiring and retaining people in recovery. It brings state recognition, free training modules from the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, a direct connection to the local ADAMHS Board and treatment providers, and access to the Bureau of Workers' Comp's Substance Use Recovery and Workplace Safety Program — real financial incentives for second-chance hiring.

Three-quarters of adults with a substance use disorder are already in the workforce. One in twelve workers has an untreated one. A job is one of the best recovery tools there is, and the state's own data backs it up.

This part doesn't cost the county a dime either. It's a state program run through OhioMHAS, RecoveryOhio, and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. The county's role is promotion and connection, not funding.

How It All Fits Together

Rehab, drug court, or a recovery center refers someone in. We assess: diploma or no diploma. No diploma leads to the Adult Workforce Diploma Program, free, with a credential attached. A diploma or GED leads to Collins Career Center trades, NCCER-certified, WIOA-funded. From there, an Ohio Recovery Friendly Employer hires them, with real BWC incentives behind it. They're retained in the workforce through mentorship, peer support, and relapse prevention. And for those who want it, Christ-Centered Recovery runs alongside the whole pipeline as a voluntary faith track.

What the Commissioner Does — At No Cost to Taxpayers

Champion the provider application. Work with Collins Career Center and Ohio University Southern to apply as Adult Workforce Diploma providers in spring 2027. Costs nothing. Just leadership.

Promote Recovery Friendly designations. Take the program to every major employer in Lawrence County. Make it known that this county is open for second-chance hiring. Free to the employer. Free to promote.

Push for Jobs for Recovery expansion. Ohio's OOD and Supreme Court program already embeds career counselors directly in drug courts across thirteen counties. I'll fight to bring it here. State-funded. No cost to the county.

Support township zoning authority. Trustees have the right to zone their own unincorporated territory under ORC 519, including the density and permitting of rehab facilities. I'll support their decisions. I won't override them.

Christ-Centered Recovery

A voluntary faith-based track offered alongside the secular Recovery-to-Work program. The county doesn't run it, fund it, or require it. Churches across Lawrence County — Ironton, South Point, Proctorville — are invited to participate in a faith-based recovery network. The workforce program itself stays secular and universal, open to every recovering addict regardless of faith. Churches are encouraged to walk their people through the same door as everyone else. No preferences. No quotas. No religious test.

"Treatment gets you clean. A job keeps you busy. But that hole in your heart — the one drugs were filling — that was meant for God. And I'll make sure the door is wide open for anyone who wants that path."

Reducing Welfare Reliance — Building Self-Sufficiency

Too many families are trapped in a cycle where working more means losing more, because benefits disappear before a paycheck can replace them. That's not a character problem. That's a system problem.

The benefits cliff is real. A single mom picks up extra hours or takes a raise, and suddenly loses childcare assistance, food benefits, and healthcare, all at once, before she's earning enough to stand on her own. People want to work. They just need a system that lets them climb without cutting the rope.

As commissioner, I can't rewrite federal welfare policy. I can use the tools the county actually has. Taper the cliff. Match the training to the jobs. Open the doors that are closed. That's not a handout. That's a ramp. Here’s how:

Work with the Department of Job and Family Services on transitional benefits that taper off gradually instead of ending all at once.
Coordinate workforce training through Ohio Means Jobs so skills actually match what local employers need.
Promote Recovery Friendly Workplaces to widen the hiring pipeline for people overcoming real barriers.
Support childcare access and transit routes that connect workers to the industrial parks and commercial centers where the jobs are.
Work with county officials to offer financial counseling, so families can transition off public aid without drowning in debt along the way.

"The best welfare program is a good job. Let's make sure the path from assistance to self-sufficiency is a ramp, not a cliff."

The Outcome

People in recovery become productive, tax-paying members of this community. Families come back together. The taxpayer burden drops. Lawrence County gets stronger, safer, and more self-reliant.

This isn't about being soft. It's about being smart — and it hands us a workforce advantage no other county in Ohio can offer, without costing the people who pay the bills a single dollar.