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Faculty

Susan Jent

MA
Recovery and Reentry Assistant Director
EKCEP

Susan Feltner-Jent is a public health and workforce development leader with more than 17 years of experience advancing evidence-based harm reduction and services for justice-involved populations across Appalachia and rural Kentucky. As Recovery and Reentry Assistant Director for Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP), she helps lead regional initiatives that connect individuals in recovery or reentry with employment and long-term pathways to economic mobility.

Throughout her career, she has managed complex grant-funded programs, led multidisciplinary teams, and helped build strong cross-sector partnerships. Her work has included operational leadership for harm reduction and reentry-aligned programs across rural counties, as well as community-based research involving high-risk and underserved populations.

Susan's work is grounded in a deep understanding of the cultural strengths, values, and lived experiences of rural Appalachian communities. She is committed to developing services that are culturally relevant and responsive to the unique challenges faced by the region, including poverty, geographic isolation, transportation limitations, stigma, and limited access to healthcare and employment opportunities. By addressing these socioeconomic barriers through collaborative, community-driven approaches, she strives to improve access to recovery supports, workforce opportunities, and long-term well-being for individuals and families.

She holds a Master of Arts in General Sociology from Morehead State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Midway University. Her career reflects a deep commitment to building person-centered, culturally responsive systems that support recovery, reduce barriers, and strengthen communities throughout Eastern Kentucky.

2027 Sessions

Replacing Recidivism with Recovery: Employment Pathways for Justice-Involved Rural Kentuckians

Session Description: Across rural Eastern Kentucky, many people in recovery from substance use disorder face the same challenge: finding stable employment. For those returning from incarceration, that challenge is often compounded by barriers that can increase the risk of relapse and recidivism. This session examines how workforce development can serve as a meaningful part of the recovery process through EKCEP's Recovery & Reentry model, which supports both justice-involved individuals and people in recovery who have never been involved with the criminal justice system. Presenters will walk attendees through the model's four core components: 1. Workforce services that connect participants to employment and training; 2. Partnerships with treatment providers, recovery organizations, and peer support programs; 3. Supportive services that address barriers such as transportation, work clothing, and identification; 4. Employer engagement strategies that expand recovery-friendly and second-chance hiring opportunities. The presentation draws on more than seven years of implementation and outcome data from programs that have served more than 5,000 Kentuckians. Presenters will share workforce outcomes, findings from an independent Lightcast return-on-investment study, and practical lessons learned from implementing the model in a rural Appalachian region. Discussion will include both successful strategies and approaches that proved less effective, providing an honest assessment of what it takes to build sustainable recovery-to-work systems.Attendees will leave with practical tools they can apply in their own communities, including strategies for building cross-sector partnerships, aligning workforce and recovery services, leveraging multiple funding sources, engaging employers, and measuring program outcomes.

Presenter

Wednesday, March 31 1:15–2:30 PM
1.25 Credits
Recovery Support
Faculty

Susan Jent

MA
Recovery and Reentry Assistant Director
EKCEP

Susan Feltner-Jent is a public health and workforce development leader with more than 17 years of experience advancing evidence-based harm reduction and services for justice-involved populations across Appalachia and rural Kentucky. As Recovery and Reentry Assistant Director for Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP), she helps lead regional initiatives that connect individuals in recovery or reentry with employment and long-term pathways to economic mobility.

Throughout her career, she has managed complex grant-funded programs, led multidisciplinary teams, and helped build strong cross-sector partnerships. Her work has included operational leadership for harm reduction and reentry-aligned programs across rural counties, as well as community-based research involving high-risk and underserved populations.

Susan's work is grounded in a deep understanding of the cultural strengths, values, and lived experiences of rural Appalachian communities. She is committed to developing services that are culturally relevant and responsive to the unique challenges faced by the region, including poverty, geographic isolation, transportation limitations, stigma, and limited access to healthcare and employment opportunities. By addressing these socioeconomic barriers through collaborative, community-driven approaches, she strives to improve access to recovery supports, workforce opportunities, and long-term well-being for individuals and families.

She holds a Master of Arts in General Sociology from Morehead State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Midway University. Her career reflects a deep commitment to building person-centered, culturally responsive systems that support recovery, reduce barriers, and strengthen communities throughout Eastern Kentucky.

Faculty

Ethan Phipps

BSAcc, BSBM, BIT, Mgmt.
Director of Recovery & Reentry Services
Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc.

Ethan Phipps serves as the Director of Recovery and Reentry at Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) in Hazard, Kentucky. With a deep commitment to workforce development and second-chance opportunities, Ethan has played a key role in implementing programs that have helped thousands of justice-involved and recovery-focused individuals successfully transition into meaningful employment.

Bringing a strong foundation in leadership and program coordination, Ethan leads cross-sector collaborations with community organizations, training institutions, and employers to ensure consistent, high-quality support services across multiple counties. His work is grounded in a belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to rebuild their life with dignity, purpose, and economic stability.

Ethan holds three Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of the Cumberlands—in Accounting, Business Management, and Information Technology with a concentration in Management. He is also a Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP) and holds a Certificate in Facilitating Career Development (FCD), along with training in workforce and career development strategies.
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