Project Summary

Stanley Street Treatment and Resources (SSTAR), an addictions treatment facility, collaborated with Bristol Community College, the Trundy Institute of Addiction Counseling, and other partners to upgrade the counseling skills of frontline employees who work with inpatient and outpatient clients.

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“What we realized is that the principles of addiction treatment, applied to
our workforce, helped development efforts. Reducing barriers, enhancing
motivation, and having a client-centered approach really helped
our frontline workers successfully complete Jobs to Careers.”
—Pat Emsellem, Chief Operating Officer,
Stanley Street Treatment and Resources
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Jobs to Careers offered opportunities for workers to receive pay raises and college credits while obtaining state- and nationally recognized addictions counseling certificates. Training was available to patient care representatives, counselors, medical receptionists, nursing assistants, milieu therapists, case managers, and non-clinical staff, including drivers, clerks, housekeepers.

The Trundy Institute provided a 270-hour, six-month program to prepare workers to become state-certified addictions counselors (CACs). Workers completed a curriculum on techniques in substance abuse counseling, assessment and treatment planning, psychopharmacology, and ethics. As a result of Jobs to Careers, Bristol Community College began awarding 15 credits for the CAC credential. Workers who received the CAC had the opportunity to participate in learning circles, coaching, and tutoring to prepare for a more rigorous national certification in alcohol and drug addiction counseling (CADAC).

Bristol Community College also delivered a four-credit course on effective group facilitation skills for frontline workers running inpatient addiction counseling groups. In developing the course, BCC and SSTAR representatives surveyed clients and entry-level workers to gather feedback on their knowledge and skills as well as on the qualities needed to facilitate groups. As a result, the course included specific training in group dynamics and group process, along with a theoretical framework. Additionally, the college developed modules to address specific needs for inpatient groups dealing with depression, relapse prevention, and other issues. The class was co-taught at SSTAR and online by BCC faculty and worksite supervisors. Eight SSTAR staff members became adjunct college faculty. Supervisors also provided mentorship and coaching to frontline workers participating in the program.

SSTAR also trained frontline staff to lead a new family intervention program, Addiction Recovery in a Supportive Environment (ARISE). Twenty-four frontline employees completed a three-day training to become certified ARISE interventionists, a credential that enabled them to facilitate non-threatening family interventions for individuals resisting treatment.

Frontline workers received recognition through new jobs and increased salaries. At least 13 workers, most of who had completed the CAC/CADAC program or the group facilitation course, enrolled in Bristol Community College. Frontline employees who started working in addictions treatment received an immediate raise of $1 per hour. Counselors who chose to work extra hours—a significant need for SSTAR, given its shortage of certified counselors—earned a much higher hourly wage for overtime. SSTAR promoted five frontline workers to full-time counselor positions, with annual raises above the agency’s average.

As a result of its efforts in Jobs to Careers, SSTAR is replicating the work-based CAC program for the frontline staff of a large human services provider. And SSTAR strengthened its relationships with education partners and developed new ones, including its collaboration with Boston-based JVS, which came to the agency to support workers who needed to earn a GED before pursuing more advanced training.

Training Outcomes

  • 53 workers participated in training.
  • 19 workers became state-certified addiction counselors, nationally certified alcohol and drug addiction counselors, or both.
  • 24 workers became certified ARISE interventionists.

Benefits to Frontline Employees

  • Raises and promotions for obtaining counseling certifications
  • New opportunities and higher compensation as a result of ARISE interventionist training

Benefits to Employers

  • SSTAR, which relies heavily on insurance reimbursement, increased its reimbursements and grew as a result of the increase in CACs. For example, it gained the staff necessary to open an evening intensive outpatient program.

Changes to Institutional Practice

  • Bristol Community College began awarding 15 credits for the CAC credential.
  • BCC began awarding 4 credits for the group facilitation course taught at SSTAR.
  • SSTAR tied wage increases to CAC and CADAC certification.