On September 23, 2025, the employees of Boone County Family Resources (BCFR) in Columbia, Missouri celebrated their commitment to the health, well-being and recovery needs of employees and clients as they received the Recovery Friendly Workplace designation during an on-site ceremony. BCFR completed several steps to earn the designation. These included training, planning and delivering a declaration to staff stating the organization’s support for employees in recovery.
BCFR was established through the passage of a property tax levy in 1976 after county residents approved the tax to help people with developmental disabilities and their families. In 1985, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) presented the agency with national accreditation. Since that time, BCFR has worked tirelessly to honor their commitment to help Boone County residents with developmental disabilities to thrive in the community, connect with others, and achieve their personal goals.
The agency is continuing its commitment to area residents and staff through the Recovery Friendly Workplace designation, which provides them with the education and training they need to support the mental health and recovery needs of employees, clients, and community members. The designation means that agency staff walk the walk and talk the talk by changing lives for the better and positively impacting their entire community.
Staff beamed as Chiquita Chanay, the Community Health Outreach Specialist and Education Director with University of Missouri Extension, presented the certificate. “Think about it: for someone in recovery, the workplace can often be the difference between hope and hardship. It can either be a place of stress, stigma, or isolation for a person in recovery…or a place of compassion, understanding, and support. By becoming a Recovery Friendly Workplace, Boone County Family Resources is sending a powerful message to its employees: ‘We see you. value you, and your well-being matters here.’ You’re fulfilling the mission of your organization by supporting your greatest assets so they can also thrive in the community.”
Chanay recognized BCFR’s “commitment to creating a culture where people can bring their whole selves to work without fear or shame” and spoke about staff’s “promise to stand beside them as they rebuild, heal, and thrive – not just as workers, but as people.” She added that the training and education staff and leaders received during the designation process will allow them to connect with others to achieve their personal goals in the same way they hope for the humans they serve. “We congratulate you for leading the way, for building a workplace rooted in empathy and for proving that when we invest in people, everyone wins. Boone County Family Resources, your example will inspire many others to follow,” Chanay said.
Executive Director Laura Cravens expressed pride in her agency for earning the RFW designation and the statement it makes about the agency’s commitment to supporting employees who may be seeking information about substance use, living with a substance use disorder, or actively pursuing recovery. “At BCFR, we strive to foster a healthy, safe, and stigma-free environment where all employees feel validated. We are dedicated to providing access to resources and creating a workplace culture that encourages and supports individuals on their recovery journey.”
Mandy Rooney, a 30-year veteran at BCFR who serves as a Support Coordinator, sees the RFW designation as a way to expand the agency’s efforts to serve the community and as a continuation of the support the employees feel every day. She described her workplace as a place of inclusion and support for staff, clients, and the community. “I have always felt supported in all decisions by BCFR, professional and personal.”
For many of BCFR’s 145 employees, earning the RFW designation was an affirmation of their values and beliefs, and a continuation of their goals and objectives. Jessica Porter, the Coordinator of Training and Quality Assurance, echoed staff sentiments when she said, “At BCFR, everything we do centers around our mission of helping individuals thrive in their communities, connect with one another, and achieve their personal goals, and that includes our employees. After learning more about what it means to be a recovery friendly workplace, it was an obvious decision for our management team to decide to take the necessary steps to receive the official designation. A recovery friendly workplace is a workplace that values the whole person, meets the individual where they are, and supports the person to thrive, connect, and achieve, something BCFR already believes in as a part of its everyday mission.”