Dominion funds scholarships to support entry to sober housing

A scholarship program established by national medical laboratory Dominion Diagnostics will allow financially struggling individuals in recovery to make the transition from treatment to secure recovery housing.

Started with a $9,000 outlay and kicking off in January, Dominion's Vermont Foundation of Recovery (VFOR) Scholarship will allow that organization to offer funds for initial deposits and first month's rent to individuals, who thus will be able to avoid having to return to an unsafe environment after treatment.

The scholarship will have a “pay it forward” approach in which individuals who receive the support will be gently encouraged at a later time to pay back all or part of the scholarship in order to help other recovering individuals.

“We are keenly aware of the need for safe and sustainable housing for individuals as they leave treatment and are in the early stages of their recovery,” Dominion Diagnostics vice president of addiction services Mary Hauser said last week in a news release.

The Vermont Governor's Opioid Coordination Council has recommended an expansion of access to high-quality and affordable recovery housing in the state. Dominion leaders say they hope their effort will serve as a call to action for other organizations that do business in Vermont.