Gov. Eric Holcomb has made growing the state’s pool of skilled workers a top priority since he took office. One of the many hurdles employers find themselves up against is a complicated one.

The new initiative aims to teach Indiana employers how to help workers who may struggle with addiction. The effort is a partnership between the state, the Indiana Chamber and the Wellness Council.

New legislation would require providers administer a verbal screen for drug, alcohol and tobacco use to pregnant women.

Addiction affects millions of Americans. At a live storytelling event held Aug. 14, 2018, Indiana community members who struggle with addiction shared their stories of life in recovery.

Kelsey Phillips, who has been in recovery since 2013, now works with women who are just entering recovery. Women who, like her, had children born addicted to heroin, and who have limited access to treatment.

First responders like firefighter Brandon Dreiman face barriers when it comes to getting treatment for mental health and addiction. He coped with traumatic experiences through drinking. Then, a random work drug screening changed his life

Dwight Fortune acknowledges that his story isn't the typical one of someone who ends up in prison after years struggling with addiction. Now, he uses his experiences to help other people in recovery transition back into society after serving time.

James, who asked to only be identified by his middle name, tried Oxycontin for the first time when he was in college. Now in recovery, he works as a paramedic, often responding to overdose victims who need to be revived using the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone.

In recent years Indiana agencies have expanded treatment and recovery services, increased Medicaid coverage and provided school based support.

People in addiction recovery will sometimes talk about a "moment of clarity" that lead to their sobriety. For 48-year-old Nathan Boyer, that moment came after he fell off a ladder and his wife checked him into rehab.