Opening the way to reintegration into the community.

After rehabilitation, the biggest concern for many is probably how to restart their lives. Lack of skills, unemployment, and difficulty securing stable income make it easy for many to revert to their old ways. Based on this reality, the Provincial Police Department developed and implemented a project to strengthen management, education, vocational training, job creation support, credit access, and community reintegration for drug rehabilitation trainees in the province (referred to as Project 189), with the goal of helping those who have completed rehabilitation to stabilize their lives through their own labor.

In a small rented room in Cua Ong ward, Dao Trong Hien ( from Son La province) had just called home to check on his mother. On the other end of the line, his mother encouraged him to work hard, take care of his health, and believe that life still offered a chance to start over. Few would guess that this man, currently working in the coal industry, had repeatedly tried to quit and relapsed. He once ran a mechanical workshop to make a living and had his own family, but drugs gradually led his life into a dead end. He and his wife have divorced, and his daughter is currently living with his parents in his hometown.

Most recently, Mr. Hien underwent drug rehabilitation at the Quang Ninh Provincial Drug Rehabilitation Center for 21 months. During this time, he received training in underground mining techniques. After completing the rehabilitation program at the end of March 2026, he was connected to employment in the coal industry.

Drug addicts undergoing rehabilitation at the provincial drug rehabilitation center are participating in a vocational training course in underground mining.

“There were many times I thought I couldn't start over. But thinking about my family, about my children growing up, I had to be determined to rebuild my life. I find the vocational training program at the facility very meaningful and practical, helping trainees get the right direction and find suitable jobs so that they have stable employment after rehabilitation,” Mr. Hien shared. Currently, his job in the coal industry provides him with a stable income. Last April, he received over 20 million VND in salary, most of which he sent back home to his parents and daughter.

According to authorities, the rate of relapse and recidivism after drug rehabilitation remains high. One of the reasons cited is that many people find it difficult to find suitable employment after rehabilitation, lacking the income to stabilize their lives. A survey of 491 people undergoing rehabilitation at the Quang Ninh Provincial Drug Rehabilitation Center showed that 457 people wanted suitable employment after completing the rehabilitation program; 155 people needed vocational training support.

By April 2026, Project 189 had initially brought about changes in vocational training and job placement for drug addicts. The facility collaborated with the Provincial Employment Service Center to organize 9 job counseling and placement conferences for over 600 drug addicts; and jointly opened 2 training courses and issued basic vocational certificates to nearly 100 trainees.

Notably, linking vocational training with the actual recruitment needs of coal industry enterprises is opening up new avenues for those who have completed rehabilitation. Specifically in April 2026, the facility collaborated with the Vietnam Coal and Mineral College and units under the TKV Group to provide career counseling and guidance to 270 people who had completed rehabilitation; and launched a vocational training course in underground mining techniques for 38 students. At the same time, 18 people who had completed rehabilitation were admitted to study and live free of charge at the school and are expected to work at units under the Group after completing the training course.

Besides vocational training in underground mining, many other vocational courses have been opened to suit the needs and abilities of the trainees. On April 23rd, the Provincial Drug Rehabilitation Center, in coordination with the Provincial Employment Service Center and the New Vision Institute for Scientific Research and Education in Health and Beauty Care, organized a training course on health and beauty care for 30 trainees undergoing rehabilitation at the center.

Trainees at the Provincial Drug Rehabilitation Center participate in a practical course on beauty and health care.

Major Pham Hoang Trung, Deputy Head of the Drug Crime Investigation Department of the Provincial Police, said: “In drug rehabilitation work, besides treatment, education, vocational training, and job orientation for trainees are identified as core tasks. During the management and education of trainees, the facility will assess each person's abilities and strengths to provide appropriate career counseling and orientation; at the same time, it will coordinate with vocational training centers and businesses to support vocational training, creating conditions for those who have completed rehabilitation to find employment, stabilize their lives, and reintegrate into the community.”

Behind every trainee is a family waiting for their return. Therefore, each vocational training class and each job opportunity connected not only helps those recovering from addiction to earn a living, but also creates conditions for them to gradually stabilize their lives through their own labor. This is also the goal that Project 189 aims for: supporting those recovering from addiction to find employment, enhancing their ability to reintegrate into the community, and reducing the risk of relapse and recidivism.

Thanh Hoa

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/mo-loi-tai-hoa-nhap-cong-dong-3408142.html