Even with his fast-paced schedule, Neal always keeps up on new techniques and trends, attends beauty and trade shows, and he strongly encouraged our students to explore and learn all branches of hairstyling in order to be truly successful and well rounded in the marketplace. “Learn it all – set a strong foundation of skills and build on it.” Wise words from a true pro! Our students had a wonderful session and learned a lot hearing from Neal firsthand. We are very grateful to have friends like Neal to help us guide our students in recovery to take advantage of every opportunity to learn and develop their skills at our vocational programs.

Students of the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center at the Phoenix House Career Academy received a rare opportunity to collaborate with acclaimed celebrity hair stylist Tracy Balan, as she launched her hair products line, “Coifed” by Tracy Balan on October 27^th in New York City at the Rocawear showroom. Our students assisted Tracy and her team as they created hairstyles for the models at this premiere exhibition event, sponsored by Rocawear and Dark and Lovely.Tracy’s creativity and innovations in the fashion and beauty industry are an inspiration to our students, we are truly grateful to Tracy and her team for this special night.

Beyoncé and her mother Tina Knowles with Phoenix House clients who will be among the Cosmetology Center's first students. (Photo by Ben Hider)

PH: What first drew you to Phoenix House?

Beyoncé: When I started doing research to play the role of Etta James in “Cadillac Records,” the film was covering a period in her life when she was struggling with drug addiction. I read about the work that Phoenix House has done and continues to do to help those in that same struggle.

PH: Before you took on the role of Etta James, what was your attitude about drugs and alcohol?

Beyoncé: I understood that if you drank too much or did drugs that it could be dangerous. I read a lot about people who have lost their careers, their homes, their children and sometimes their lives after becoming addicted to drugs or alcohol. I always asked is it not easy to just stop, to just say no, like we were taught? I understand now that it is a disease and just like no one chooses to catch a cold, no one chooses to be an addict.

What were the most important—or the most surprising—things you learned from the women in treatment at Phoenix House?

Beyoncé: The most important and surprising thing I learned from these incredible women is how strong they are. They have accepted that they are struggling but they have made the decision to get better. They are driven and focused to break the addiction and do better for themselves and their families. Their stories are still filled with hope. They refuse to give up.

PH: What inspired you to create a cosmetology center at our Career Academy and what do you and your mother Tina believe it can do for the people we serve?

Beyoncé: The inspiration for the center really came from the women I met at Phoenix House. It was their stories of what they had been through and how positive they were about the future that inspired me and my mom to come up with something that would teach them a skill, make them feel good about themselves and prepare them to return to work. No one knows about beauty more than my mother. She owned a beauty salon when I was growing up and I spent a lot of time there, I loved it and everyone supported and inspired each other. My mother and I believe that anyone can succeed with a little help. The cosmetology center can help these women, and men, to achieve their goals to be independent, self-fulfilled and ultimately help in their recovery process.

PH: How can we best remove the stigma that keeps so many victims of addiction from getting the treatment that can help them control this chronic disease?

Beyoncé: The first thing is to recognize that drug addiction is a disease. No one chooses to be a drug addict. When someone gets sick, everyone works to get them better. There is no blame and no judgment. If everyone understands that as a fact, I think the addict would feel more comfortable seeking treatment. It has to be so difficult to have to cope with the disease of addiction and to also feel afraid to seek help.

In this Sunday’s Washington Post, I came across “Help Wanted: One Second-Chance Job” by Jim Arkedis. In the article, Jim tells the story of his mentee, Tim Cofield. Tim is 55 years old, bipolar-schizophrenic, battling substance abuse, rotating in and out of jail, and unable to acquire what Jim deems the most important stepping stone in Tim’s recovery: a job.

I was moved by Tim’s story, however it made me even more empathetic to the situation faced by our clients at Phoenix House—most of whom are in much less dire straits than Tim. Even without co-occurring disorders (like Tim’s addiction and mental illness) our clients struggle to find employment when they leave treatment. This is despite the fact that, according to the Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, individuals in recovery from substance abuse do as well or better at work than those who have no history of addiction.

As a Certified Vocational Rehabilitation counselor, I know that to be successful after treatment, our clients desperately need to be part of the community—and this usually means being employed. For someone with Tim Cofield’s debilitating diagnoses, volunteering may be the best option, but the majority of our clients are entirely capable of competitive employment. They have completed treatment and are no different from any candidate with a manageable chronic condition—be it asthma, diabetes, or addiction. Today’s economy, however, is a buyer’s market.

At our Phoenix Career Academy in Brooklyn, New York, our goal is to teach clients the tools they need to return to the job market. They choose one of our vocational training programs—which include our Beyoncé Cosmetology Center, our culinary arts program, and our carpentry course, among others. When they leave treatment, they have a marketable skill. After that, their fate is largely in the hands of potential employers. We do offer supplementary services like interview coaching, but some companies still view our clients as somehow “less-qualified” than equally skilled candidates who have not had a substance abuse problem.

Our clients want to work. Employment helps them feel valuable, and allows them to live their lives as productive members of society. “I just want to be normal,” they tell me, or “I want to give back.” In the world of substance abuse, occupying your time is a big part of what keeps you in recovery; work keeps you focused, on track, and out of destructive cycles.

Unfortunately, that destructive cycle is all that some people know. They use drugs, go to jail, get on probation, and repeat. There aren’t enough support services for this population, and not enough employers are willing to hire them. This is a disadvantage for both the individual and the potential employer; most companies don’t realize that individuals with disorders like addiction are actually extremely skilled in a variety of areas. Once hired, these individuals are often devoted workers who perform well, learn quickly, and improve exponentially.

So how can we bridge the gap between job training and actual employment? Jim Arkedis, who wrote Tim Cofield’s story in the Washington Post, insists “we need quality programs that place those with troubled pasts in stable jobs…in the long run, I’ll bet the employers and the community would benefit.” I couldn’t agree more.

At Phoenix House, we do our best to help our clients be creative and stay engaged after treatment, because we know that they can be successful. A job adds meaning to life, cultivates self-value and provides a safe and substance-free place to go every day. Most importantly, people will rise to what is expected of them; if you give them responsibility, they will work that much harder to keep it.

To all the potential employers out there: if you want qualified candidates, give our folks a shot. They are just as bright, as qualified, and as well-trained as anyone else submitting a resume—but they are even more motivated to succeed.

Jasmine Rodriguez, M.S.Ed, CRC
Director of Vocational Services
Phoenix Career Academy