Earlier this year, the state of Ohio and Working Partners launched a public-private partnership called Drug-Free Workforce Community Initiative (DFWCI). Its goal is to build healthier, stronger, more productive workforces and workplaces based on local needs and, in turn, build a healthier, stronger, more economically-sound Ohio; as well as to help businesses across the 17 participating counties implement or refine their drug-free operations, including second-chance policies.
So far, 111 participants have registered for DFWCI’s intensive, drug-free workplace (DFWP) management, consultation and technical assistance course. The participants represent 70 small and mid-sized Ohio businesses that employ nearly 10,000 workers across all industry sectors.
The course is already being commended for the benefit it provides to both companies and communities alike. “I am grateful for our company’s opportunity to gain this critical information,” Jan Myers of Terri Roberts Co. in Cambridge, Ohio, said. “I feel as we work to address the issue of substance abuse in the workplace, we can benefit the community as a partner.”
Regarding the course, the founder and CEO of Working Partners, Dee Mason, said, “This is an excellent opportunity for participating businesses to really take a deep dive into their drug-free workplace policies and create operational systems to help them prevent and respond to workplace substance abuse issues in a legally-sound and meaningful way. It is our intent that these businesses will serve as leaders and play an important role in addressing the economic threat of substance abuse by employees and job seekers in their communities.”
The course is graduate-level and covers several topics including legal issues impacting a DFWP program, drug trends impacting the workforce/workplace, and best practices for operationalizing a policy/program.
As an incentive for businesses to complete the course, those that do will receive access to Ohio’s Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s Drug-Free Safety Program for rebates and Safety Grant money that can be used to help pay for program implementation.
For more information about the course, please visit www.WorkingPartners.com.
To read a brief overview about the course, click here.
Danita White for TechFunnel.com
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