A Job for Former Addicts in the Medical Field

Awakenings for Women reports that hospitals nationwide are opening their doors and offering a job for former addicts, hoping that their experiences will help current addicts successfully work through their recovery process.

In her early 20s, Nicole Bourgeois was a heroin addict living underneath the Longfellow Bridge, near Massachusetts General Hospital. Today, she is in her 30s, living a sober life, in a master’s degree program, and employed by the very same hospital that once banned her from their property.

The most ironic part of her employment: A major requirement of her current job is a former struggle with addiction. Nicole Bourgeois is a peer recovery coach at Massachusetts General Hospital. Peer recovery coaching positions are becoming apart of hospital emergency departments nationwide. This job for former addicts was created with the notion that only someone who has suffered from addiction can truly relate and understand the struggle of someone currently enveloped in one. These people are strong examples of successful recoveries and facing the adversities of drug addiction; addicts trust their advice. As a peer recovery specialist, Miss Bourgeois attends meetings with doctors, assists patients, does one on one counseling, and leads discussions on substance abuse treatment. She even takes on more personal responsibilities, such as keeping former addicts company in annoying situations in which they might feel tempted to use.

This idea of giving a job to former addicts is relatively new in the medical field, but seems to be taking off, as the responses have been generally positive. Recovery coaches are required to be drug free for two years, possess a high school diploma, and have 60 hours of training. They will remain involved in the former addict’s life after they leave the hospital and assist them in building a more positive lifestyle, with the help of centers like Awakenings for Women.