Healthier Workforce Center: November News

Recovery Friendly Workplaces

In an effort to advance the conversation around substance use disorders and best practices for supporting recovery through the workplace, the Healthier Workforce Center is continuing to share free resources for employers.

The Healthier Workforce Center has recently released two new recovery-focused podcasts. Click the links below to learn more about Naloxone and how recovery-friendly workplaces are better equipped to retain skilled individuals.

Workplace Matters Podcasts

Naloxone in the Workplace

In this episode of the Workplace Matters podcast, we are discussing the lifesaving drug that temporarily stops an opioid overdose, Naloxone.

In the first quarter of 2023 the FDA approved naloxone to be sold over the counter. Dr. John Gaal is the director of worker wellness for the Missouri Works Initiative and is an advocate for supporting workers with substance use disorders and recovery friendly workplace policies.

Listen Here

Retention Through Recovery Friendly Workplaces

In this episode of the Center's podcast, Workplace Matters we are discussing how recovery friendly workplaces can retain employees with substance use disorders (SUDs).

We spoke with Tim Dobblare, safety director of Tower Rock Stone in Missouri, who is committed to retaining highly skilled employees. Retaining these workers through recovery friendly workplace policies became critical to their workplace.

Listen Here

The Recovery-Ready Workplace Toolkit: Guidance and Resources for Private and Public Sector Employers is designed to help businesses and other employers prevent and respond more effectively to substance misuse among employees, build their workforces through hiring of people in recovery, and develop a recovery-supportive culture.

Access the Toolkit

Listen Here

In Case You Missed It:

Peers in Recovery

In this episode of Workplace Matters we discuss an important part of Recovery Friendly Workplaces, Peers in Recovery. A peer in recovery is a co-worker who has been in recovery and is willing and able to support others who struggling with substance use disorders (SUDs).

We spoke with Eric Cohen from Ace Pipe in Kansas City, Missouri about how his own recovery journey has allowed him to help others within his workplaces.

Community Funding Available in Iowa

The University of Iowa College of Public Health and the Business Leadership Network are excited to release the Community Grant Program Request for Proposals (RFP) for 2024. The College has an ongoing interest in collaborating with Iowa communities to meet the increasing needs for public health-related initiatives and projects.

For full details, download the RFP from the Business Leadership Network website.

Topic areas: Include but are not limited to healthy lifestyles, population health, addressing health disparities, workplace safety/wellness, community needs assessment, children and youth issues, healthy aging, arts and health collaborations, and sustainability of multi-generational livable communities. Additional preference will be give to projects that are focused on rural areas or address nutrition or food insecurity.

Who is eligible: Nonprofit organizations and local government entities in the state of Iowa.

Funds available: Grant awards of up to $3,000 each will be made to applicants in communities within the state. Grants require a minimum 1:1 cash or in-kind match.

Time frame:

• Proposal Due Date: January 12, 2024

• Awards Announced: February 12, 2024

• Grant Project Timeframe: March 1 - December 31, 2024

Learn More

Bonus Resources & Events

www.HealthierWorkforceCenter.org

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