Best Jobs for Recovering Drug Addicts

There are many factors to consider when looking at starting a career following recovery. Assessing what it is you want for yourself and what fits a healthy lifestyle for you best is critical in making a decision. If staying involved in the recovery community and working with others to achieve sobriety is your goal, check out our program to learn how to become a substance use counselor, or contact us with any questions.

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With experience, therapists can specialize in areas such as sports massage, medical massage, or holistic bodywork. Baristas craft and serve coffee, tea, and other specialty beverages while providing excellent customer service in a cafe setting. Gardeners and Horticultural Workers nurture and maintain gardens, parks, and other outdoor landscapes to ensure they are healthy and aesthetically pleasing.

It’s a profession that encourages continuous learning and skill refinement, which can be therapeutic and fulfilling for those in recovery. With experience, Pet Groomers can advance to senior groomer positions, open their own grooming business, or specialize in grooming for show animals. You may also consider opening your own fitness studio, becoming a fitness influencer, or advancing to managerial roles within a fitness facility. This role is well-suited for recovering addicts who are looking to transform their lives and help others achieve physical and mental wellness. With experience, you can take on supervisory roles, open a private practice, or specialize in working with specific populations.

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Roadmap to Inclusive Career Pathways – This is an interactive online roadmap that provides workforce professionals with resources to help people with disabilities achieve employment and economic self-sufficiency. NEW Supported Employment and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) – Growing scientific evidence supports the use of IPS as an intervention for people with or in recovery from substance use disorder. This Workforce GPS webinar features IPS co-creator, Robert Drake, MD, PhD. A video recording of the webinar, the slides, a transcript, and an executive summary are available.

Starting Over: What Are the Best Jobs for Recovering Addicts?

• This role is ideal for individuals seeking a fresh start and a sense of independence while contributing positively to their community.
• With your experience, you can inspire others to change their lives and become sober.
• There is something therapeutic about being outdoors and enjoying nature.
• At 12 Keys, we understand what it’s like for you and are here to help you start your recovery.
• This role is ideal for recovering addicts seeking a fresh start in a creative and structured environment that encourages focus and artistry.
• This role is ideal for recovering addicts seeking a structured environment with the opportunity for creative expression through the art of coffee making.

There is also potential for further education and certification in counseling or social work, which can open doors to a wider range of career opportunities in the field of mental health and addiction services. NEW The Second Chance Business Coalition promotes the benefits of second chance employment and provides employers with resources to hire and provide career advancement to people with criminal records. They may have worked odd jobs, dead-end jobs or perhaps never held down a job at all. For them, looking for a career during recovery is the next step in a long process of finding new meaning and purpose in life. Another reason you shouldn’t change jobs quickly is that, when everything else is changing, it’s good to have something steady, reliable and familiar to fall back on.

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This independence helps build a strong sense of confidence as an addict learns to adapt to the challenges of day-to-day living and is often done in vocational development programs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual wage for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors was $48,520 in May 2021. However, salaries can range from as low as $30,870 to more than $77,980. This career path offers a sense of accomplishment and the opportunity to work with one’s hands, which can be therapeutic and grounding for individuals in recovery. This role is https://yourhealthmagazine.net/article/addiction/sober-houses-rules-that-you-should-follow/ ideal for recovering addicts seeking a stable and structured work environment that offers tangible results and the satisfaction of a job well done.

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The role of a Yoga Instructor offers a rewarding opportunity to contribute positively to the lives of others, particularly those in recovery. This role is ideal for recovering addicts looking to foster a peaceful and holistic lifestyle, while sharing the benefits of yoga with others. This role is ideal for recovering addicts who wish to give back and help others on their journey to recovery. You may be tempted to apply for any job listing you come across, but you should have a list of criteria for what makes a job ideal. For instance, working in an environment such as a restaurant may not be the best choice for someone following recovery.

Essentially, while you are receiving supervision and other professional support, you can immerse yourself in the practice of one theory over the course of 3-6 months, and do the same with another theory. This process can help you to hone in on an approach that best suits you. Finding a job can be challenging and take a lot of time, even for people who aren’t in recovery. However, it’s important to keep trying, stay positive, and build your skills. This role is ideal for recovering addicts who seek a therapeutic and expressive outlet and enjoy sharing their passion for crafts with others. Owning a small business offers the opportunity to grow professionally and personally, expanding the business’s reach and potentially the workforce.

• Another way that some people in recovery deal with gaps in their resumes is to create a skills-based resume instead of a chronological resume.
• Customer service jobs are some of the easiest to get because there’s always a demand for people who are willing to work for lower pay.
• My advice is to identify 2-3 theories that are of interest to you and “try on” each theory.
• In order to keep your new job, following common sense rules is often the best way to stay employed.
• For them, looking for a career during recovery is the next step in a long process of finding new meaning and purpose in life.

Employment for Recovering Addicts: The Interview

Support groups are also a great place to learn about job openings and leads. Whether it is bussing tables at a local restaurant, stocking shelves at Walmart, working in a factory or working in a fast food restaurant, working a job that is simple puts the focus on how you are living your life. Working these types of jobs while in recovery also has the benefit of allowing sober house you the time to clearly think about your next steps until you accumulate more clean time. The main thing to remember is these types of jobs aren’t meant to be permanent careers; they are meant as a form of recovery support for those new to recovery.

With experience, individuals can advance to supervisory or management roles within catering companies or branch out into other areas of hospitality, such as event planning or restaurant management. Library Assistants help manage the day-to-day operations of a library, providing support services to librarians and helping patrons locate information and resources. Working as an Animal Caretaker can be the first step in a fulfilling career in animal welfare or veterinary services. With experience, Fitness Trainers can advance to managerial roles within gyms or wellness centers, become specialized trainers, or even open their own fitness businesses. This career also offers a pathway to further education and credentials, such as becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or a Certified Addiction Professional (CAP). With experience, Fitness Instructors can advance to become personal trainers, open their own fitness studios, or specialize in areas like rehabilitation, sports conditioning, or nutrition.

According to studies, being in nature can have a positive impact on a person’s health and well-being. There is something therapeutic about being outdoors and enjoying nature. If you are in recovery, consider looking for a job in the outdoor industry to get the benefits of nature therapy. Having struggled with addiction yourself, that puts you in a position to share your experiences and help others in their recovery journey. The advantage of working in this field is that you are always surrounded with a supportive network so you are less likely tempted to relapse. Our Treatment Advisors are available 24 hours a day to help you or a loved one access care.

This role is ideal for recovering addicts who seek a creative outlet and the therapeutic benefits of working with their hands to craft beautiful items. This role is ideal for individuals seeking a fresh start and a sense of independence while contributing positively to their community. This role is ideal for recovering addicts looking for a structured and creative outlet that yields tangible results and a sense of accomplishment. This role offers a peaceful and nurturing environment that can be very beneficial for individuals in recovery.

Carpentry offers a clear career path, from an apprentice to a journeyman, and eventually to a master carpenter. Recovery Coaches support and guide individuals who are recovering from addiction, helping them to make the necessary lifestyle changes to maintain sobriety. As a Massage Therapist, the opportunity to positively impact clients’ health and well-being is a rewarding aspect of the job.