DAIL expands opioid recovery employment pilot and reports strong HireAbility employment outcomes

DAIL told the House Appropriations Committee that its HireAbility vocational programs and an opioid recovery employment pilot have shown positive employment outcomes and are being folded into the FY27 budget.

Commissioner Angela Jo Bowen described HireAbility and related efforts, saying the opioid recovery employment pilot—designed to connect people in recovery from opioid use disorder with employment—was "really successful" and is now expanding. "The opioid recovery pilot has expanded now to more than just the two; I think we're at five different locations," Bowen said.

DAIL also presented comparative employment measures for the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired and HireAbility, saying state outcomes exceeded national averages on measures such as measurable skill gains and post‑exit employment rates. Bowen noted that 35 blind and visually impaired individuals closed their cases in FY25 after attaining successful employment and that 82% of those had wages above 125% of the state minimum wage.

Why it matters: Employment programs like HireAbility can reduce reliance on institutional settings and support recovery and long‑term independence for participants; committee members and business representatives praised the program’s employer linkages.

DAIL said the opioid employment work was previously supported with opioid settlement dollars and is now being included in base budget funding. The department and committee members described continued collaboration with the Department of Labor and employers to meet business needs and provide credentials where appropriate.

The committee did not take formal votes on the program line but noted the expansion and requested budget detail as part of the broader FY27 review.

Quotations and program figures above are drawn from DAIL’s presentation to the committee on Jan. 29, 2026.