AmeriHealth Caritas Supports Efforts to Address Employment Barriers in Indiana
Reentry Services and Workforce Research Focus on Employment, Economic Mobility and Greater Self-Sufficiency
New support for reentry services and workforce research will address barriers that affect Hoosiers’ ability to pursue employment and greater economic stability.
The AmeriHealth Caritas Family of Companies is helping Mental Health America of Indiana (MHAI) sustain and expand accreditation, technical assistance and quality oversight for Integrated Reentry and Correctional Support (IRACS).
AmeriHealth Caritas will also be the foundational sponsor of the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute’s (IFPI) 2026 Workforce and Education Research Series, which will examine how the state’s education and human-services systems can better support people preparing for and entering the workforce.
Becoming employment ready can depend on more than job training. Recovery services, behavioral health care, education and connections to community resources can all affect whether someone can enter and remain in the workforce.
“Investing in Indiana means supporting local organizations that understand the barriers people may face as they prepare for employment and have practical ways to address them,” said Sonya Nelson, Regional President, AmeriHealth Caritas Family of Companies. “Our experience in other states includes members who, after entering the workforce, were able to move from Medicaid to an AmeriHealth Caritas Marketplace plan and maintain health coverage as their eligibility changed.”
Mental Health America of Indiana helps organizations providing reentry and recovery services align their work with IRACS standards. The model connects people to recovery support, behavioral health services, peer support and community resources before and after release.
A $50,000 grant from AmeriHealth Caritas will help MHAI work with organizations implementing IRACS in correctional settings by guiding them through accreditation, providing implementation assistance and tracking program quality through reviews and reporting.
IRACS data from nearly 8,500 participants show an average 24% reduction in behavioral health symptoms, with improvements measured in depression, anxiety and substance use disorder.
“Timing, competency, and trust matter when someone is returning from incarceration,” said Stephen McCaffrey, President & CEO, Mental Health America of Indiana. “This grant gives MHAI additional capacity to work with organizations that are ready to meet people at that moment and make consistent reentry support available to more people.”
AmeriHealth Caritas has committed $12,000 to IFPI’s 2026 Workforce and Education Research Series, which will include three briefs. The briefs will look at use of Indiana’s Adult Student Grant, college readiness and postsecondary enrollment, and ways workforce development can be better coordinated with human-services programs.
“We want to give Indiana policymakers a clearer picture of how adults use education aid, what affects college readiness and postsecondary enrollment, and how workforce programs connect with human services,” said Stephanie Wells, President, Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute. “The briefs will pair Indiana data with examples from other states as leaders consider how those systems might work together more effectively.”
AmeriHealth Caritas plans to use the findings to better understand the barriers Hoosiers face as they prepare for employment and to guide future efforts that support economic mobility. The briefs are scheduled for release before the end of 2026.