Recovery Supports for People with Substance Use Disorders
ATR UPDATE | May 2019
Access to Recovery (ATR) in Massachusetts has information for you on our Career Building Initiative!
ATR Provides an Income to Participants Who Attend Job Training Programs

Access to Recovery (ATR) provides work-study benefits to all participants who attend our Career Building Initiative (CBI) programs. This allows participants to receive an income while undergoing job training. The benefit amount has remained at the same level since ATR began, but we’ve decided to raise it to adjust for increased costs of living. The work-study benefit has now been increased to $10/hour as of May 13, 2019. We hope this cost-of-living adjustment will make our CBI participants even more successful at completing their CBI job-training programs.
Welcome Aboard to Two New CBI Providers 
We are excited to announce two new CBI providers that are joining the ATR family:
CULINARY ARTS

In Worcester, we have brought on Café Reyes , a program of the Recovery Home called Hector Reyes .

 Café Reyes is a 16-week teaching kitchen/culinary classroom and training program focused on developing food service and restaurant skills through hands-on work in a vibrant restaurant that offers full breakfast and lunch menus, as well as catering services with a Cuban flare . Café Reyes offers valuable training and on-the-job experience to participants on the following:

  • Barista skills (preparing and serving different types of coffee)
  •  Working the café counter
  •  Customer service and waitstaff skills
  • Safe and effective use of kitchen equipment (e.g., scales, mixers, fryers, slicers, oven, grill)
  •  Teamwork
  • General employment skills (resume and interview skills, social skills, etc.)

These areas of focus are all designed to positively support integration into the community and build experience for people transitioning into the workforce.
TRUCK DRIVING

In New Bedford , Amaral Auto and Truck Driving School, Inc. is now onboard with ATR. Amaral offers a 6-week training program designed for individuals interested in pursuing a career in transportation. Participants will receive education and training to receive a CLASS A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) , which allows holders to drive both trucks and tractor trailers.

A CDL is the most marketable kind of truck driving license to have and can lead to many job opportunities. The training will also include Massachusetts CDL test prep, designed to help participants pass the official state exams, get on the road, and start making money!
ATR Now Offers Graduation Gifts to Successful Graduates of CBI Programs 

To help recognize the wonderful achievement of ATR participants who successfully complete their rigorous CBI training programs, we are now offering ATR / CBI graduates a graduation gift. The gifts serve as a reward, but will also help them as they go for job interviews or embark on a new career.

Each CBI program decides what items will best support participants based on the training they receive. For example, a culinary program may choose to give their students a chef hat, apron, or special kitchen shoes. Another program might gift graduates with a professional leather portfolio they can take with them on interviews to carry their resume, or with a gift card that can be used to buy a new shirt or blouse for interviews or work. The graduation gifts are just another way ATR rewards participants when they are successful and helps program graduates be as prepared as possible when entering the workforce.
Call for New CBI Providers – We Need Your Help!
If you know of any job-training providers in one of our four cities (Boston, Springfield/Holyoke, Worcester, New Bedford) that can provide short-term occupational training please let us know. We focus on occupations that are typically more receptive to hiring people with criminal backgrounds.

We are looking to expand our cadre of providers and offer new occupational opportunities for ATR CBI participants. We are passionate about getting ATR participants back into the workforce and into good jobs that can provide career advancement over time. To do this, we want to offer as wide a selection of occupations and job-training options as possible.
If you know of any possible organizations, just let our CBI Program Manager, Ian Lisman, know and he will follow up with potential new providers.


508.314.8972
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CBI Works!
CBI is an incredible success.
As proof, take a look at some of the CBI program results:

More than 2,400 ATR participants have gone through CBI to date.
Most CBI participants (93 percent) report feeling prepared to find a job in their area of interest at the end of their training.
The majority of ATR participants (87 percent) who enrolled in a CBI program completed their program.
At their 6-month disenrollment assessments, 55 percent of ATR participants were employed or in school. That is a four-fold increase from their dates of intake. 
We invite you to visit the site , subscribe to our quarterly newsletter , and if you’re a job-training program in Massachusetts, consider joining the ATR provider network .
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