Spotlight on Opioids in the Workplace

Editor’s note: If you or someone you know needs assistance (in English or Spanish) with mental health concerns or substance use disorders, prevention, and recovery, please contact the Lifeline at 988 or visit the Lifeline webpage.

Recovery-ready Workplace Resource Hub
A new resource hub is available with information about recovery-ready workplaces for workers and employers. The hub, inspired by a cross-government initiative led by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy, includes an overview of policies and practices that makes a workplace recovery-ready and shares the benefits of these policies. NIOSH and colleagues at the U.S. Department of Labor contributed extensively to this project. Visit the hub for more information and links to other resources.

News from NIOSH

Continuing Education Available: NIOSH TWH Webinar Recordings
In October, the webinar “Promoting a Sustainable Work-nonwork Interface” discussed work schedules in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. There was also discussion about COVID-19 and women, including strategies to address the impact on women’s workforce participation. Access the recording and learn more about how to obtain free continuing education on the TWH webinar page. Also, stay tuned for a recording from the November webinar featuring strategies for navigating work-life boundaries.

Santa’s Workshop Keeps Spirits Bright With TWH Strategies
Get in the spirit with this holiday inspired NIOSH Science Blog. You can discover how Santa uses TWH approaches to protect elves and promote their well-being!

Whole Person Health Stakeholder Meeting
In October, Heidi Hudson, MPH, Commander, U.S. Public Health Service, participated in a stakeholder meeting sponsored by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) on future research on “whole person health.” NCCIH identifies whole person health as looking at the whole person—not just separate organs or body systems—and considering multiple factors that promote either health or disease. Meeting participants considered what kind of research is needed and how to implement this concept in real-world settings. CDR Hudson provided comments to NCCIH on behalf of the NIOSH TWH Program. Learn more about NCCIH’s initiative on Whole Person Health.

News From the NIOSH Centers of Excellence for TWH

• Researchers from the California Labor Laboratoryenjoyed participating in the symposium, delivering various presentations. They recently released a request for proposals for pilot grants, due March 1, 2023. Stay tuned to their website for the latest news on upcoming webinars.
• The Carolina Center for Healthy Work Design and Worker Well-being (Carolina Center) served as the organizing theme for a stop on the Tar Heel Bus Tour in October. The bus tour introduces Carolina faculty and senior administrators to the most pressing issues facing the state and to community-engaged research partnerships. The 40 bus tour participants were introduced to the Carolina Center and heard from workers about their experience with the two worksite projects. They also stopped at the RedEye Worldwide warehouse, a participant in the Carolina PROSPER study and a pilot site for the affiliated project testing healthy subsidized meals available in blue collar worksites. In the fall, the Carolina Center conducted a four-hour TWH professional development course for industrial hygienists at the regional American Industrial Hygiene Association- Carolinas. They also participated in the symposium, delivering five presentations, including a pre-symposium workshop by Center Director Dr. Laura Linnan.
• The Center for Health, Work & Environment (CHWE) is celebrating the launch of the Society for TWH™, which now boasts more than 120 members. The group’s inaugural event was held at the symposium. You can learn more about how to join the society and sign up for email updates. CHWE is excited to offer the TWHProfessional Program, an online training program that will help participants understand the benefits of the TWH approach and how to masterfully apply it in any organization. CHWE is also continuing to work on research projects, including the Well-being and Cancer at Work (WeCanWork) research study. The study has formed focus groups with care team members. The research team will recruit cancer survivors and occupational medicine providers to participate in December’s focus groups. Researchers recently received funding from the Institute for Cannabis Research to study the potential exposure to heavy metals from smoking or vaping cannabis.
• Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace (CPH-NEW) personnel were excited to participate in the symposium, delivering 17 presentations and celebrating founding Co-Director Dr. Laura Punnett. Dr. Punnett was honored with a TWH Founder’s Award for her leadership in advancing TWH and ensuring the voices of workers remain front and center. CPH-NEW intervention research studies are actively advancing, recruiting teachers for the Total Teacher Health study to participate in health and safety “design teams” in two school districts. The TWH Employer Crisis Preparedness study kicked off a one-year coached community of practice pilot training program for human resources and other management professionals. This month, CPH-NEW thanks out-going Co-Director Bill Shaw, PhD, for his leadership as he prepares for retirement and welcomes Jennifer Cavallari, ScD, in her new role as Co-Director.
• The Center for Work, Health, & Well-being was well represented at the symposium and thoroughly enjoyed participating as presenters and attendees. Researchers were represented in a keynote address on “Approaches and Challenges to Improving Conditions of Work Across Industries” and a panel discussion on “Accelerating Research to Practice: Connect With NIOSH TWH Centers,” along with other center outreach directors. Other presentations included “Work Organization as a Core Dimension of TWH: Toward an Expert Consensus,” “Development of the Thriving From Work Questionnaire: A Measure of Work-Related Well-being,” “Mental Health of Construction Workers,” and “Protecting Workers in the Post-pandemic World.” During the symposium closing session, Center Director Glorian Sorensen received a TWH Founder’s Award for her contributions to the field, recognizing her many years of expanding the evidence supporting workplace policies and practices designed to promote and protect workers’ safety, health, and well-being.
• The Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest (HWC) published a new Workplace Mental Health Policy Brief. The brief outlines the benefits of addressing mental health in the workplace, describes strong mental health and return-to-work policies, and highlights best practices to promote mental health and safety. HWC also released a recording of the Collaborative Learning Community webinar, “More Than Just a Paycheck: Creating a Workplace That Attracts and Retains Employees.” The webinar addressed how work culture, policies, and practices influence health and well-being and impact recruitment and retention. In a new podcast, Protecting Worker Well-Being in Immigrant Populations, they examine Latino immigrant and migrant populations working in meatpacking and cattle feed yards.
• The Johns Hopkins Psychosocial, Organizational, and Environmental Total Worker Health® Center in Mental Health (POE Center) hosted its inaugural Summit on Mental Health in the Workplace in October in a hybrid format with over 100 attendees. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and The Luv u Projectannounced the inaugural winners of the Carolyn C. Mattingly Award for Mental Health in the Workplace (Mattingly Workplace Award), Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Metro Nashville Public Schools, and the University of Virginia. The award was presented for their comprehensive efforts to advance workforce mental health and psychological well-being. In addition to the 2022 Award winners, Associated Bank, Franklin County Cooperative, and General Electric received honorable mention recognition.
• The Oregon Healthy Workforce Center (OHWC) is offering a new certificate program, “TWH: Advancing Worker Well-being in the Workplace.” Course content will include an examination of TWH elements and concepts, an introduction to occupational health psychology and its relevance to safety and TWH, and a discussion of resources and strategies for integrating safety and occupational health into organizations. OHWC is celebrating 4 years of their podcast, What’s Work Got To Do With it?, where listeners can enjoy over 30 episodes, including a new addition on Fishing Forward for fishermen. OHWC is also celebrating the success of the symposium, where researchers delivered seven presentations. OHWC sends thanks and appreciation to Dede Montgomery, who led outreach efforts at the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences for over 18 years.
• The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Center for Healthy Workis working with an integrated healthcare system to improve workforce and population health and well-being by addressing benefits design, wage structures, and culturally appropriate and accessible well-being programs. Read about this new project called Workforce Health and Well-being for All as a Sustainable Business Strategy. UIC is also continuing their work on the Greater Lawndale Lotería, an evidence-informed, historically grounded, and worker justice-themed educational game to promote healthy work in Greater Lawndale by informing critical dialogue and shifting knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs. The game was played with community members and local youth and is available to download and print to play in your community!
• The Utah Center for Promotion of Work Equity Research (U-POWER) is collaborating with several community stakeholders, including county health departments and community health workers, to develop toolkits and training dedicated to safe, healthy, and equitable work. U-POWER is continuing development of our community-based certificate in TWH and developed a faculty mentorship program with an interdisciplinary cohort of graduate students to serve as subject matter experts. Both the mini grant program (dedicated to community-initiated research) and the Research Pilot Project Program are open for applications.

These are just a few of the updates from the NIOSH Centers of Excellence for TWH. To learn more about each of the Centers, visit their websites.

News From NIOSH TWH Affiliates and Partners

Applications Open for Workplace Mental Health Award
Mental Health America’s Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health application is now open. The Bell Seal recognizes organizations committed to creating worker friendly and psychologically safe workplaces. To prepare aspiring employers for Bell Seal certification, Mental Health America created the Workplace Mental Health Toolkit, which includes resources to develop the foundation for a mentally healthy workplace. View past recipients in the Bell Seal 2022 Brief.

Healthy Work Pledge Spurs Critical Dialogue
The Healthy Work Campaign, a public health initiative of the Center for Social Epidemiology (a nonprofit and TWH Affiliate), is excited to introduce the Healthy Work Pledge. Want to know what we mean by “Healthy Work”? Check out the Pledge! The Pledge is designed to start a dialogue between employers, labor unions, government, health and safety professionals, and working people about how to reimagine U.S. workplaces to reduce sources of work stress and improve the health and well-being of workers. The coalition around the Healthy Work Pledge is growing. Sign up as an organization or individual to help build the movement for healthy work.

State of Mental Health in America Report
Mental Health America released its 9^th annual report, ranking the 50 states and the District of Columbia on 15 indicators of the prevalence of mental health conditions and access to care for youth and adults. This report provides a snapshot of mental health status for policy and program planning, analysis, and evaluation. Read key findings and download the report.

TWH Welcomes a New Affiliates
The Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH) strives to ensure that all workers earn their living and return home alive and well. MassCOSH unites workers, unions, and community groups with environmental and health activists, to end dangerous work conditions, to organize for safe, secure jobs, and to advocate for healthy communities. The National Association of Community Health Workers (NACHW) was founded in April 2019 after several years of planning and organizing by CHW leaders and allies across the country. Their aim is to establish a membership driven organization with a mission to unify Community Health Workers to support communities in achieving health, equity, and social justice. Learn more on the NIOSH TWH Affiliates webpage.

Featured Affiliates: Get to Know the NIOSH TWH Affiliates

This feature was created to introduce our readers to current NIOSH TWH Affiliates. See how the NIOSH TWH Affiliates responded when we asked about their work.

Western Kentucky University (WKU)

Wilkes Recovery Revolution, Inc.

New Publications and Resources

Spotlight on the Symposium

• Celebrating the 3rd International Symposium to Advance TWH
• TWH Symposium: A Closer Look at Keynotes
• Worker Well-being Takes Center Stage: Fireside Chat With the U.S. Surgeon General
• Celebrating the Success of the 3rd International Symposium to Advance TWH
• The Future of TWH Training
• Why We Need to Listen
• Power at Work: Reflections From the 3rd International Symposium to Advance TWH
• Connecting at the TWH Symposium

From CDC and NIOSH

• NIOSH Miner Health Program Addresses Substance Use and Work
• What Is Employment Quality? How Can We Study It for Occupational Health Equity?

From Our Partners

• Employment Precarity and Increased Risk of Hazardous Occupational Exposures Among Residents of High Socioeconomic Hardship Neighborhoods
• Healthcare Organization Policies for Employee Safety and COVID-19 Pandemic Response: A Mixed-methods Study
• How the Senior Community Service Employment Program Influences Participant Well-being: A Participatory Research Approach With Program Recommendations
• Primary Prevention of Weight Gain Among New Bus Operators: Results of the Success & Health Impacts for Transit Operators During Onboarding (SHIFT Onboard) Pilot Study
• Residential Addiction Treatment Providers: Identifying the Role of Social Context in Worker Health and Turnover
• Response to NIOSH Request for Information on Interventions to Prevent Work-related Stress and Support Health Worker Mental Health
• The Utility of a Safety Climate Scale Among Workers With a Work-related Permanent Impairment Who Have Returned to Work
• Weight Loss Program Preferences of Men Working in Blue-collar Occupations: A Qualitative Inquiry

Conferences, Webinars, and Training

December

5 – The Center for Work, Health, & Well-being will co-sponsor a seminar with the Harvard Education and Research Center at 1 p.m. (ET). Dr. Daniel Schneider, Malcolm Wiener Professor of Social Policy and Professor of Sociology in the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University, will present “Routine Uncertainty in the Service Sector.” He will discuss work scheduling practices in the service sector, the effects of exposure to precarious scheduling on worker health and well-being, the effectiveness of labor standards in reducing work schedule instability, and research on automation and technology in the service sector.

7 – Register for a free webinar, “The Role of Economic Security in the Future of Work,” at 12:30 p.m. (ET). This event is part of the NIOSH Future of Work Initiative Webinar Series. The webinar will address topics like adequate wages, equitable and commensurate compensation and benefits, and minimum guaranteed hours impacting the safety, health, and well-being of tomorrow’s workforce.

8 – U-POWER will host a December Seminar Series titled “Unpacking Power, Positionality, and Practice,” being held on Zoom at 4 p.m. (MT).

9 – OHWC will host a Fall 2022 Symposium, an online day-long event beginning at 9 a.m. (PT), focused on “supporting diverse workforce in the face of ongoing societal trauma.” Heidi Hudson from the NIOSH TWH Program will present on “Empowering TWH in a Traumatized Workforce” at the event. Register today.

14 – The Carolina Center will hold an inaugural Southeastern Summit for Healthy Work Design and Worker Well-Being. This event will gather a select group of key employers, labor leaders, government officials, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners. Together, they will engage in conversations about how to prioritize research, outreach and education and policy and practice-related activities to improve worker safety, health, and well-being across the Southeastern U.S. Director of the NIOSH TWH Program, Dr. L. Casey Chosewood, will provide remarks at the event.

January 

U-POWER will host a Town Hall in January 2023 for community members interested in the mini grant program. Stay tuned to their website for a date and location.

February

3, 10, 17 – CPH-NEW expanded its flagship Healthy Workplace Participatory Program training with a streamlined version for unions and worker organizations. The “Building TWH Leaders: Train the Trainer,” part of the SHIFT project, engages staff and members of unions and worker organizations. The program helps to strengthen their facilitation skills, assess and build collaborative labor management relationships, and implement a TWH program in their labor management committees to address the root causes of worker health, safety, and well-being. Registration for February classes is now open!

15 – Health Links™, CHWE’s TWH employer advising program, hosts an annual TWH webinar series. The 2023 series will kick off at 11 a.m. (MT) with “Money Matters: Financial Well-being and TWH.”

Save the Date

April 13 – U-POWER will host a Spring Community Conference. The keynote address will be livestreamed.

Find more events on the NIOSH Conferences, Meetings, Webinars, and Events webpage.

Total Worker Health^® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Mention of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, citations to websites external to NIOSH do not constitute NIOSH endorsement of the sponsoring organizations or their programs or products. Furthermore, NIOSH is not responsible for the content of these websites. All web addresses referenced in this document were accessible as of the publication date.