Resources
Recovery and mental health
A national association for addiction professionals. Their website provides great information about the impacts of substance abuse on various aspects of life. https://www.naadac.org/
The National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD) site provides a list of treatment and recovery resources. https://nasadad.org/treatment-recovery-resources/
A website that lists treatment centers nationwide. https://www.recovery.org/
SMART Recovery, an alternative to AA/NA for individuals seeking support in recovery. https://www.smartrecovery.org/
Alcoholics Anonymous, a worldwide organization focused on helping alcoholics and addicts who are seeking recovery. https://www.aa.org/
An organization that provides help and hope for families of alcoholics and addicts. A great way of getting advice from other families struggling to help their addicted loved one. https://al-anon.org/
A personalized detox and drug treatment facility with several locations. https://www.northpointwashington.com/
A Christian-based recovery center in Prescott, AZ that uses treatment to help rewire the neural pathways of addicts and alcoholics. http://recoveryinthepines.com/
NAMI Eastside is the East King County affiliate for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI is a community-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to improving the quality of life for those impacted by a mental health condition through Advocacy, Education, and Support. https://nami-eastside.org
Addiction Help is your trusted educational guide to addiction and recovery, founded by recovering addicts and board-certified addiction specialists. Whether you are struggling with addiction or concerned about a loved one’s substance abuse, our mission is to lead you to a healthier, happier life. https://www.addictionhelp.com/
Employment
A website dedicated to helping people with criminal records find work. A necessary resource with jobs nationwide. https://honestjobs.co/
Job search site that specializes in companies that are misdemeanor and felony-friendly. https://www.70millionjobs.com
A great resource that answers many questions about 2nd chance employment and the employment rights of individuals with past criminal justice involvement. https://wareentryguide.org/employment
Dave’s Killer Bread Foundation, building a coalition of employers dedicated to providing second-chance employment for people in recovery and/or criminal history. https://dkbfoundation.org/
LinkedIn Job Search, allows for a filter of “Fair Chance Employment Companies” in the US, to see employers who are open to hiring someone with a criminal record. https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/
MOD Pizza, a company that gives second chances to people in recovery and formerly incarcerated as part of its business model. Fantastic place for those rebuilding their employment lives to start. https://modpizza.com/join-mod-squad/
A list of some second chance and Fair Chance employers. https://www.fairshake.net/fair-chance-employers/
A listing of state vocational rehabilitation agencies, whose purpose is to help individuals with disabilities find and keep employment. Currently, substance use disorder is considered a disability (in most states) and as such, individuals in recovery are eligible for these free employment services. https://www.csavr.org/stateagencydirectory
A US Department of Labor (DOL) site that is a clearinghouse for all things job-related. Easily searchable to find employment help and resources in your local area. https://www.careeronestop.org/
A guide about higher education after incarceration and how it can positively impact your career prospects. https://www.intelligent.com/education-and-career-guide-after-incarceration/
Housing
Oxford Houses, a national network of recovery houses. An excellent way for those recovering to stay in safe, sober environments away from temptation and old habits. The site features a database of houses nationwide. https://www.oxfordhouse.org/userfiles/file/index.php
Oxford House Vacancies by city and state, along with filters that allow you to check vacancies by gender. https://www.oxfordvacancies.com/
National Alliance of Recovery Residences, focused on providing quality standards for recovery housing nationwide. They currently have 29 affiliate states in the US. By clicking on a state, you can check sober houses in your area. Note: these are houses that are NOT affiliated with the Oxford Houses listed above. https://narronline.org/
Government
US government agency working on reducing the impacts of substance use and mental illness. https://www.samhsa.gov/
A listing of state vocational rehabilitation agencies, whose purpose is to help individuals with disabilities find and keep employment. Currently, substance use disorder is considered a disability (in most states) and as such, individuals in recovery are eligible for these free employment services. https://www.csavr.org/stateagencydirectory
A US Department of Labor (DOL) site that is a clearinghouse for all things job-related. Easily searchable to find employment help and resources in your local area. https://www.careeronestop.org/
statistics
Article on the National Conference of State Legislatures that shows stats from Bureau of Justice. Key finding is that 77 million Americans have a criminal record. https://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/barriers-to-work-individuals-with-criminal-records.aspx
Harvard Policy Center paper about incarceration. States that by 2030, over 100 million people will have a criminal record. https://carrcenter.hks.harvard.edu/publications/mass-incarceration-and-future-urgent-need-address-humanrights-implications
States that per the US Dept. of Health and Human Services, over 600K adults released from prison per year and over 9M cycle through local jails. https://aspe.hhs.gov/incarceration-reentry
Seattle Times article that claims over 2M people in WA State have a criminal record of some kind. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/should-people-with-criminal-convictions-be-able-to-work-in-health-care-a-bill-in-washingtons-legislature-would-relax-state-laws/
A study completed by the ACLU regarding 2nd chance employment. One of the key findings is that 75% of formerly incarcerated individuals are still unemployed 1 year after release. https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_document/060917-trone-reportweb_0.pdf
A study by Prison Policy Initiative. Key finding: back when unemployment was hovering around 4% nationwide, the unemployment rate of those previously incarcerated was almost 7 times higher at 27%. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/outofwork.html
Stats about poverty and recidivism rate. The key statement is that poverty is the #1 predictor of recidivism. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/research/recidivism_and_reentry/
A study commissioned by the United States Sentencing Commission. Key finding: employment within 1 year of release reduced the recidivism rate by almost 40%, from 32.4% to 19.6%.
https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/research-publications/2004/200405_Recidivism_Criminal_History.pdf
Data from DrugWatch about the prevalence of prescription drug abuse in the US.
https://www.drugwatch.com/news/2015/07/29/drug-abuse-in-america/