By Lisa Buchanan and Ann McCauley
On July 6th, 2023, Lisa Buchanan from the Missouri Rural Health Association presented the Recovery Friendly Workplace designation to the Rolla Mission. The mission offers homeless adults over the age of 18 a stable and secure environment, and provides meals, case management, support groups, housing programs, clothing, and hygiene items. Buchanan says, “The support and encouragement that the Rolla Mission gives people who enter their doors is more than amazing. The services that are provided are sometimes all a person needs to help them get back to a stable environment.”
Buchanan adds that becoming a Recovery Friendly Workplace adds to the mission’s services by demonstrating its commitment to helping individuals in need with substance use disorder. “Through the RFW designation, the Rolla Mission shows that as a business it cares about its employees and wants to promote a sense of well-being, safety and health for all workers.”
Ashley Brooks is the Executive Director of the Rolla Mission. She led her team as they completed each of the steps required to become recovery friendly and expressed gratitude for the training and technical support offered through the initiative. Brooks notes that” Since its inception, the Rolla Mission has always been a beacon of recovery-friendly practices. We are delighted to officially become a certified Recovery Friendly Workplace. This accreditation not only affirms our ongoing commitment but equips us with enhanced training and tools to better support our cherished employees and volunteers in recovery. Together, we can shape a future where recovery is not just possible. It becomes an empowering journey.”