LEWISTOWN — A new regional survey is seeking feedback from residents in Bedford, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata and Mifflin counties to help identify barriers to recovery and employment in rural Pennsylvania.

The Recovery Employment Survey is being led by the FIRST Center through its FIRST CARES — Community Access to Recovery and Employment Support Services — initiative. Organizers said the effort is intended to gather information that will help strengthen recovery supports while also addressing workforce shortages across the region.

According to the FIRST Center, the survey focuses on challenges people may face when seeking or maintaining employment, including transportation, childcare, stigma, legal concerns and access to services. Organizers said the responses will help guide a regional strategic plan and future funding requests aimed at expanding recovery and workforce support programs.

“This is about bringing real solutions to the table,” Karen Rush of the FIRST Center said in a statement. “We’re hearing from employers who need workers, and from individuals and families who are trying to rebuild and move forward. This survey helps us connect those dots in a way that makes sense for our communities.”

The survey is open to individuals in recovery, family members and caregivers, employers, supervisors, healthcare and behavioral health providers, and other community members.

Organizers said the questionnaire takes less than 10 minutes to complete and responses are confidential.

The initiative is supported in part by the Appalachian Regional Commission as part of a broader effort to build a coordinated recovery and employment support system in the region.

“Recovery is probable when people have access to support, opportunity and connection,” Rush said. “When we invest in recovery, we’re also investing in our workforce and the long-term health of our region.”

Printed flyers with QR codes for the survey are being distributed at community events, healthcare facilities, schools, CareerLink offices and local businesses.

More information about the survey and the FIRST CARES initiative is available through the FIRST Center.