(Submitted by the The Wood County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board)
In an effort to address the safety and economic threat of drug abuse in the workplace, the Wood County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board recently partnered with the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce, Safety Council, Bureau of Worker’s Compensation, County Commissioners and Working Partners to launch the Working Partners Drug-Free Workforce Community Initiative (DFWCI) in Wood County.
One of the key objectives of the initiative is to establish a nucleus of five businesses that have been facilitated through an intensive drug-free workplace (DFWP) management consultation and technical assistance course designed to help them implement or refine their drug-free operations, including second-chance policies.
To that end, the Wood County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board is currently seeking applications from local businesses to participate in the Working Partners Technical Assistance Course.
Participation in the two-day course is free and allows for each business to send three representatives to the session. Business leaders who are interested in applying for the course may complete an online application at https://form.jotform.us/70715706440149 or should contact Amanda Moser at 419-352- 0626 to learn more information about the opportunity.
Businesses that complete the course can expect to receive an operational road map to guide them in administering a DFWP policy/program, systems to attract and keep quality employees, increased risk management and insulation against corporate liability, enhanced public relations, and savings in time and dollars.
“We believe this is an excellent opportunity for several local businesses to really take a deep dive into their drug-free workplace policies and create systems that will help them prevent and respond to workplace substance abuse issues in a legally sound and meaningful way,” said Amanda Moser, Community Educator for the Wood County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board. “As leaders in this Initiative, these businesses will play an important role in the efforts to address the economic threat of substance abuse by employees and job seekers in our community.”
OhioMHAS and Working Partners have developed a public-private partnership to move the Working Partners Drug-Free Workforce Community Initiative (DFWCI) forward throughout the state. The initiative will support local employment strategies related to drug-free workplaces. OhioMHAS has provided funding for 17 local communities to work with Working Partners to convene and coordinate stakeholders to assess specific community needs and develop local action plans to develop strong local drug-free workforces by employing a variety of best practices that meet these needs.
