The following press release was submitted by Highland Rivers Behavioral Health:

Highland Rivers Behavioral Health has been selected as a partner organization in a $13.4 million regional initiative funded through the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE) program to expand recovery-to-work strategies and strengthen employer partnerships across Georgia.

Highland Rivers is one of nine partner organizations across six states selected for grant awards from lead grantee the Fletcher Group, Inc. The agency will receive $1 million over five years and lead a coalition of six Georgia Community Service Boards (CSBs) to foster recovery-to-work and employer engagement systems that strengthen workforce participation and support individuals in or seeking recovery.

“As much as clinical services and support are important for individuals to achieve recovery, having a job is a critical part of maintaining a life in recovery, allowing individuals to engage with their communities and live independently,” said Highland Rivers Behavioral Health CEO Melanie Dallas. “But we also need local employers that understand how important a job is to an individual in recovery, and how becoming a recovery-friendly workplace can benefit them, their workforce and their business.”

Highland Rivers’ involvement in the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) recovery-friendly workplace initiatives goes back several years. In 2019, Melanie Dallas was selected to represent the State of Georgia on the ARC’s Substance Abuse Advisory Council, whose work helped launch the Commission’s Investments Supporting Partnerships in Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) Initiative in 2021.

Highland Rivers was selected to receive an INSPIRE grant the very first year (funding that has continued through 2025), which has supported the agency’s Workforce Connect Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative, administered by the Highland Rivers Foundation. Targeting employers in Haralson, Polk, Murray and Whitfield counties, the Highland Rivers program has worked with numerous local employers, more than 140 local employees and nearly 70 supervisors. The ARISE grant will help expand this work to all of Highland Rivers counties, as well as those served by partner CSBs.

“Efforts to address substance use disorder and improve economic opportunity are too often siloed, discouraging the exchange and adoption of effective practices,” said Dr. Ernie Fletcher, cofounder and chief medical officer of the Fletcher Group, Inc. “This project will bring together experienced organizations in the six-state service area to help employers address workforce needs and help individuals maintain recovery and obtain employment. The Fletcher Group is proud to partner with these organizations to strengthen recovery pathways and expand economic opportunity.”

“The six CSBs involved in this project serve a total of 35 Georgia counties,” added Dallas. “Together, and with the support of the Fletcher Group, we have the potential to impact thousands of Georgians, including individuals, employers and communities, to make Georgia a recovery-friendly state and further enhance our reputation as the best state to do business.”