BHG to Launch Recruiting Campaign
By Linda Ballard, Chief Human Resource Officer
Over the past two years, our company has experienced change, growth and resilience during incredible challenges brought on by the pandemic. During that time, the HR team has strategically focused on what makes BHG a place where people choose to work and stay for a long time. We’ve upgraded recruitment and retention best practices and compensation packages and we continually collaborate with all of you to cultivate a culture of honor, caring and respect. To carry that work forward, today I’m excited to announce our recruiting campaign: Work with purpose.
For the past couple of months, we’ve worked with our Marketing team to create messages and ads that will resonate with the quality and caliber of professionals 
“Many people in our industry are called to do this work and have a sense of purpose of why they’re here. We’re also helping our patients reconnect with their purpose which can serve as a healing driver in the recovery journey,” said Nancy Buttyan, Chief Marketing Officer for BHG. “The word ‘work’ in this campaign is both a noun and a verb. We are doing work that has purpose and we are also working with purpose in every interaction with teammates, patients and the community; in every process, system and technology upgrade we put in place; in everything we’re doing to support the life-saving work while operating and growing the business.”
We want to share this campaign and the methodology behind it because you are truly our best ambassadors for working at BHG and we want more people on board like you. Our hope is that you will leverage these messages and help us spread the word to find the best candidates.
Nancy explained, “At the onset of developing this campaign, our teams researched stories and data about where people are in life and work right now. It’s no surprise that we’re witnessing the “Great Resignation.” Some industry leaders are even calling it the “Great Awakening.” People are taking a long, hard look at what they’re doing with their time and evaluating if the sacrifices they’re making are worth it. They are being intentional about living and working with purpose and expressing a universal desire to do work that matters and stop wasting time in places where people aren’t valued and treated with respect. ‘Work with purpose’ relates to all of us.”
We want our campaign message to convey:
- A simple, congruent brand voice across all touchpoints: ads, brochures, website, social media;
- Messages that easily transition to specific roles (providers, nurses, counselors, facilities ops, corporate);
- We meet people where they are – both our teammates and our patients;
- Big picture: we’re modeling a new standard for how recovery should be done, both in how we care for our patients and how we work in the industry;
- Come join our life-saving mission, but not at the expense of your well-being;
- Our culture is based on our core values: hope, caring and respect;
- Real career pathways are possible with BHG;
- We’re modern, diverse, inclusive and holistic;
- We offer competitive compensation, bonuses and incentives;
- We’re doing meaningful work that has long-lasting impact for individuals and communities.
Who is our audience?
- Addiction recovery professionals (clinicians, nurses, counselors, facilities ops, corporate) who are aligned with holistic, long-term MAR approach.
- People looking for purpose and meaning in their careers
- Current healthcare workers looking to make a career change in face of the pressures brought about by the pandemic
- People looking for a long-term career with opportunities to learn and grow while having a life of health and well-being.
When and what you will see
Members of our HR team and Operations leadership have been working with Marketing to come up with a launch strategy. Our goal is to activate the campaign mid to late February. In addition to the ad we showed you, scheduled social media posts and digital ads will run on Facebook, Google and in the NAADAC newsletter for 90 days. We’re also updating the Careers webpage content to align with the campaign.
“We’re piloting ad spend for the first time on a recruiting campaign and are focusing this initial push on our most critical hiring markets – Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota and Rhode Island,” said Nancy. “In addition to enjoying the creative aspects of this work, our teams have been working hard to collect testimonials from many of our teammates which is super rewarding and makes us so proud of the work and mission of BHG.”
How can you help?
Like I said before, you are our best ambassadors of the culture and work we’re doing to lead the way in addiction recovery. Please reach out to us any time with questions and ideas about reaching the right candidates. In the meantime:
- Remember, you have the opportunity to earn a referral bonus!
- When the social media posts and ads begin to run, please share away.
- Feel free to share our Benefits One-Pagers with people who are interested in working for BHG. You can find a clinical and non-clinical version here.
Natashia Cheatham Appointed to National AATOD Board of Directors
By Amanda Karistai, Regional VP, Operations
Congratulations to Natashia Cheatham, MHSA, FACHE, Regional Director, for her recent appointment to the National Board of Directors for the American Association and Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD). Visibility with a national, policy-impacting organization is one of our strongest strategies in strengthening BHG’s position as a leading provider of addiction recovery services.
The members of the Louisiana Chapter of AATOD nominated Natashia to be the state’s delegate. This organization focuses on federal policy and implementation related to treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).
“It’s an honor to be selected as the state representation for all Louisiana OTPs,” said Natashia. “My key role is to participate, implement and organize specific policies related to medication regulation and funding as well as be a voice for the State to ensure fair and equitable treatment of our patient population and continue initiatives to decrease the overdose rate and provide access to care for those in need.”
BHG representation in AATOD is growing
On behalf of BHG, Natashia joined the Louisiana chapter last November with other leaders to re-establish AATOD’s footprint in the state. Amber Bonura, BHG New Orleans West Bank Program Director, was elected as chapter president. We’re also proud to have other AATOD chapter delegates: Tina Beckly (Colorado) and Chrissie Martin (South Carolina).
“The Louisiana Chapter of AATOD was not very active for several years and we wanted to reimagine our chapter,” said Natashia. “What’s great about it is that since we’ve acquired CBH, BHG is now the main recovery company in Louisiana and owns half of the facilities. Being the delegate is a natural fit with all of my experience with the State Department of Health and all that I’ve learned through networking and community involvement.”
Issues on AATOD’s radar
Delegates are the primary liaison between the state and AATOD, sharing feedback from staff and clients to state and federal policymakers and to payors.
“One of our initiatives is a mobile treatment program that will be especially helpful for reaching rural communities. Louisiana is one of eight states SAMHsA approved for this program and I’m in negotiations with our state to help fund that. We initiated those conversations due to hurricanes Ida and Delta. We need other options for clients who can’t travel or were impacted by the storms.”
Natashia said AATOD is always educating and recruiting ambassadors, for example, with college campuses where it’s important to spread awareness of opioid treatment and AATOD.
“By us [BHG] being on the board, we’re at the forefront of rising issues at our centers and we bring those issues to AATOD,” said Natashia.
Some of those issues include finding credentialed providers which is very difficult because of the education required; prescriptive authority conversations where physicians are seeking to prescribe methadone in their offices for which BHG is not a proponent; and the increase of fentanyl deaths that AATOD will develop a national plan for once they’ve gathered information from every state.
How you can get involved
If you want to get involved with your local AATOD chapter, Natashia recommends you reach out to one of BHG’s three delegates or contact the organization directly. Part of what we can do for our patients is being a voice for them and addressing systemic issues that are hindering real recovery.
“It’s important to speak up and share the challenges you’re experiencing because AATOD can’t advocate for what we don’t know about.”
