Somerset County Department of Human Services awards Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative to CiC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Community in Crisis Selected to Launch Groundbreaking Recovery Friendly Workplaces Initiative in Somerset County

April 21, 2025 | Bernardsville, NJ – CiC has been awarded a contract by the County of Somerset, New Jersey, to launch the Building Recovery Capital: Recovery Friendly Workplaces (RFW) initiative. Funded through opioid settlement dollars, this program is designed to close critical gaps in recovery support by fostering inclusive, supportive workplace environments for individuals and families impacted by substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring mental health conditions.

The RFW initiative represents a key pillar in the county’s broader recovery efforts, engaging local employers—across private, public, and nonprofit sectors—to create and sustain workplace cultures that promote recovery, reduce stigma, and boost employee well-being.

“This initiative meets people where they are—in this case, the workplace,” said David Martinak, Program Director of RFW at CiC. “It’s not only a compassionate approach—it’s a smart business strategy. Employers who embrace recovery-friendly practices see measurable improvements in productivity, retention, absenteeism, safety, and overall morale.”

Research from the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago and the National Safety Council (NSC) supports this. Employers spend an average of $8,817 annually per employee with an untreated SUD, but can save more than $8,500 per employee when recovery is achieved.

As the first initiative of its kind in New Jersey, Somerset County and CiC are positioning themselves as state leaders in innovative, community-centered responses to the opioid crisis.

The RFW initiative is grounded in the four pillars of recovery—Home, Health, Purpose, and Community—with a focus on Purpose as a key driver of long-term recovery. By helping workplaces become recovery-friendly, the program builds recovery capital at both the individual and organizational level, sparking a ripple effect of support and resilience throughout the community.

Key statistics from NSC and NORC research:

• 1 in 12 employees lives with an untreated substance use disorder.
• Industries like construction, mining, and services have the highest rates of SUD—often in safety-sensitive roles.
• Jobs with a high proportion of male and younger workers tend to show elevated rates of substance use.
• Workers in recovery take fewer sick days (8 per year vs. 11.6 for average workers), stay longer in their jobs, and utilize healthcare less frequently.

For more information about the Building Recovery Capital: Recovery Friendly Workplaces initiative, please contact:

David Martinak
Program Director, RFW | CiC
dmartinak@communityincrisis.org