Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) and the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) today announced the availability of a free, virtual training series to help employers create and maintain recovery-friendly workplaces. In partnership with Penn State College of Medicine, the training series, titled “Shatter the Stigma: Supporting Recovery in the Workplace ECHO,” will educate employers on valuable tools to support employees in recovery from substance use disorders (SUD), provide strategies to reduce stigma in the workplace, and help prevent unnecessary terminations.
"Employment plays a crucial role in stabilizing recovery and mitigating the effects of the opioid crisis," said L&I Secretary Nancy A. Walker. "By equipping employers with the knowledge and tools to foster supportive work environments for individuals in recovery, we can not only reduce turnover and training costs but also retain valuable skills within our workforce. This approach supports both the well-being of individuals in recovery and the long-term stability and productivity of the employer.”
The launch of the training series coincides with National Recovery Month, which is an annual recognition observed throughout the month of September to highlight the gains made in the lives of individuals living in recovery from SUD and show that every day, people can and do recover from the disease of addiction. The 2024 National Recovery Month theme is “Recovery is For Everyone: Every Person, Every Family, Every Community.”
“I applaud the Department of Labor & Industry for addressing stigma head on. We know that, unfortunately, stigma still casts a shadow over people battling substance use disorder and programs like this will help reverse that trend,” said DDAP Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones. “We know there is still work to be done, and we are looking forward to seeing the results of this new partnership the Shapiro Administration has forged to do the critical work of stigma reduction in the workplace.”
Project ECHO – Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes – is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Grant, with funding totaling more than $214,000. Through Project ECHO, L&I and Penn State College of Medicine aim to help employers improve employee well-being, increase productivity, and ultimately strengthen the Commonwealth’s workforce.
“Our Project ECHO team is honored to partner with L&I in supporting individuals with OUD by providing their employers with essential education, resources, and research-driven solutions,” said Project ECHO Director Jennifer L. Kraschnewski, MD, MPH. "As a result of this funding, an expanding network of over 180 employers across the Commonwealth will have an opportunity to learn from experts and peers in the field to ultimately enhance recovery outcomes and strengthen workplace well-being.”
The program will be offered twice a month, starting in September through December 2024 and again in February through May 2025. Through virtual lectures, presentations, and training sessions, employers can learn more about recovery-friendly workplaces from healthcare providers and experts in addiction medicine, social work, human resources, and law enforcement. The virtual sessions occur bi-monthly from 8 AM to 9 AM.
In partnership with Penn State Harrisburg’s Douglas W. Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research, The Public Good Projects (PGP), and Shatterproof, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs is proud to offer the Life Unites Us campaign, an evidence-based approach to reducing the stigma of opioid use disorder (OUD).
Life Unites Us launched in September 2020 and utilizes social media to spread stories of individuals and their family members battling OUD, hosts webinars sharing tools and information to effectively reduce stigma and maintains an interactive data dashboard detailing the campaign’s progress.
More information and dates can be found in the series flyer here. To register, visit Shatter the Stigma: Supporting Recovery in the Workplace ECHO Registration (psu.edu).
For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, please visit the website or follow L&I on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
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