KYNSHIP WORKS - An Innovative Workforce Development Pilot

Funded via a Louisville Metro Government Opioid Settlement Grant, KYnship Works is an innovative pilot program that adds a workforce development framework to the original housing first support model championed by ChooseWell Communities.

What challenge is KYnship Works addressing?

Many individuals in recovery face the challenge of re-entering the workforce in industries that may lack the flexibility or recovery-friendly environments needed for long-term success. KYnship Works aims to fill this gap by offering participants a supportive structure that ensures they do not have to choose between a stable income, housing, their recovery, and their family.

Who is eligible?

Individuals in recovery from SUD/OUD with 90-days of sobriety, who are currently in sober living housing, have at least one child under the age of five, is a resident of Jefferson County, KY, and is not currently employed.  

How does it work?

KYnship Works is a paid 12-week immersive program for 20 hours per week.  Cultivating in-demand, marketable skills within an immersive yet flexible curriculum, participants engage in trauma-informed job-readiness training, time and household management, and interpersonal skills development—each critical for fostering sustainable employment, housing stability, and personal growth. A core component of the program is its focus on supporting participants in overcoming barriers to career advancement, including the challenge of "Benefits Cliffs," which disproportionately affect lower-wage workers and can create financial disincentives for accepting promotions or incremental raises by reducing public benefits too quickly. KYnship Works integrates technology that allows participants to make data-driven decisions about their work hours and wages.  By enhancing confidence and building recovery capital, KYnship Works ensures that participants are job-ready and positioned to thrive in their careers, reducing financial stressors and strengthening overall community well-being.

What are the goals of the pilot?

The current 12-month pilot will engage 30 individuals (three cohorts of 10 participants). The goals of the pilot are to improve workforce participation rates among a motivated yet overlooked population segment, strengthen recovery capital of participants, provide safe/nurturing homes for children of participants, and iInspire other public-/private-/non-profit collaborations.

For questions or to obtain a more detailed overview of KYnship Works, please contact LeighAnn@choose-well.org.