ChooseWell Communities Expands KYnship Internship Pilot with Momentum from St. Vincent de Paul and Community Partners

ChooseWell Communities is expanding its KYnship Internship Pilot, a recovery-informed workforce initiative designed to help parents in early recovery build skills, confidence, and stability through supported employment.

Following a successful Fall 2025 pilot with St. Vincent de Paul Louisville and Wayside Christian Mission, the Spring 2026 cohort now includes additional community partners offering diverse, supportive work environments.

Spring internship partners include South Louisville Community Ministries’ Rosewater Bookstore, Louisville Youth Group, Feed Louisville, and Americana Community Center. Together, these organizations are hosting interns in roles such as Program Aide, Retail Associate, Administrative Assistant, Family Advocate, and Bookstore Clerk.

Over the three-month internship period, participants receive hands-on job experience paired with consistent coaching and recovery-informed supervision. The placements are supported by ChooseWell’s Workforce Development Manager, Stephen Bernard, and Internship Coordinator, Darrelanne Olivieri, who work closely with both interns and host sites to support professional growth, workplace navigation, and retention.

Unlike traditional short-term job placement programs, the KYnship Internship Pilot is embedded within ChooseWell’s three-year family support model. Participating families commit to raising their children in homes free from substance misuse and receive wraparound supports that include housing assistance, peer support, and a close-knit community of professionals and fellow parents. This long-term approach recognizes that stable employment is built alongside housing security, recovery capital, and family well-being.

The internship pilot builds on the success of KYnship Creates, ChooseWell’s workforce readiness initiative, and is informed by supportive employment models such as Homeboy Industries. Rather than rushing participants into immediate employment, the program emphasizes steady, supported progress that allows parents to build skills, confidence, and stability as they prepare for long-term workforce participation.

Stephen Bernard
Workforce Development Manager, ChooseWell Communities

“We see real changes in confidence through this program,” said Stephen Bernard, Workforce Development Manager at ChooseWell Communities. “Participants are building work history, routine, and belief in themselves — all of which carries into what comes next.”

The KYnship Internship Pilot is funded by the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission (KYOAAC) and builds on momentum from earlier support provided by Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government through the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, using Kentucky Opioid Abatement Trust Fund settlement dollars.

During the launch of the KYOAAC-funded phase, a freeze on housing voucher access through the Louisville Metro Housing Authority significantly disrupted housing stability for families entering the KYnship pathway. As a result, many participants began internships without stable, affordable housing, increasing vulnerability during an already critical period.

“When families don’t have a safe, stable place to live, everything becomes more fragile,” said Leigh Ann Yost, Executive Director of ChooseWell Communities. “Housing stability allows parents to focus on professional development, parenting, and recovery. Without it, families are often one emergency away from devastation.”

In response, ChooseWell launched a Rental Assistance Program during the first internship cohort, helping eight participants secure stable housing. These efforts reflect the organization’s commitment to adapting in real time to systemic barriers while maintaining forward momentum for families working toward independence.

Community partners report strong alignment between the internship model and their own workforce needs.

“Partnering with ChooseWell has been an amazing opportunity to connect with parents in recovery looking for employment, “ said Jennifer Clark, CEO of St. Vincent de Paul Louisville. “ChooseWell Interns have gained skills and experience. SVDP gained a recruitment tool for employees who really get what we do. Our team has learned a lot about how to support interns and new employees in the first few weeks of onboarding. Clarity, patience and consistency help set the stage for long-term success. SVDP has benefited from the support of the team at ChooseWell as much as the interns benefited!"

ChooseWell Communities is actively seeking additional internship host partners and private funders to sustain and expand the KYnship Internship Pilot. Mission-aligned employers and investors play a critical role in scaling this work and strengthening workforce pathways for families rebuilding their lives. Interested in learning more? Get in touch.

WHY THIS MODEL MATTERS

Families in early recovery face barriers to employment that go far beyond job skills, including housing instability, disrupted work histories, trauma, and the pressure to succeed quickly. ChooseWell’s KYnship Internship model recognizes that rushing parents into jobs without support often leads to churn, not stability. By embedding short-term, supported internships within a multi-year recovery and family support framework, the program gives parents time to build confidence, establish routines, and learn workplace expectations in recovery-informed environments. This approach strengthens both worker readiness and employer success, creating a more durable pathway from recovery to long-term employment.