As Union Mission stands on the front lines of the addiction crisis, we are seeing a greater need to help people beyond the point of their addiction.

The question became: How can we in good conscience help someone overcome addiction only to send them out with no practical tools to help keep them from falling back into destructive behaviors?

More than ever we see the need to help men and women obtain the training, education, and life skills required to not only find a job but build a career and a home that is free of abuse and addiction. Basic skills like how to balance a checkbook, use a computer, cook a meal, or properly care for children are taught in our recovery programs.

The Vocational Advancement Program at Union Mission was developed to help participants gain the necessary skills needed to return to society better equipped to rebuild their lives.

There are two parts to the program – education and work experience.

Education—
Throughout the program, participants are involved in classes aimed at expanding their knowledge in a variety of subject areas focused on life application and job readiness skills. Topics include skills such as Microsoft Office, healthy relationships, career fitness, resume development, interview skills, communication skills, and professionalism.

Work experience—
After successfully completing the education curriculum, participants are able to seek employment.  Working with area business partners, we seek to provide a challenging, specific, purposeful work assignment in order to attain professional on-the-job training and mentoring that will better equip them to continue their success upon graduation.

If you are interested in helping or would like to receive information and updates on the program, please use the form below to send us your contact info or call us at 304.925.0366 x 143.