A large, industrial company in Richmond, Indiana that offers treatment for those who have a positive pre-employment drug screen with a pathway for eventual employment
Belden Inc. is a global leader in high-quality, end-to-end signal transmission solutions. The company has an innovative program in its Richmond, Indiana plant called Belden's Pathways to Employment. In the context of a shrinking workforce with 10% of pre-employment drug screens coming up positive, the company started a pilot program in February 2018, in a collaboration with other organizations, that would offer a pathway to employment for those who had a positive urine drug screen.
The company refers individuals to a substance use assessment and pays for evidence-based treatment. After individuals show progress in treatment and have negative drug screens, they start in a safety conscious role with the potential to move into machine jobs with continued progress. On average, the timeline for monitoring the employee is 18 months.
A presentation describing the program can be found here and more detailed information on the program can be found here and here. Reports on the success of the program can be found here and here.
This program has been replicated in two other Belden plants and has been highlighted in several media outlets.
Twenty-nine candidates have joined Pathways to Employment and nineteen have completed treatment and are working in various roles at Belden.