The Addiction Epidemic and its Impact on Employers with Kelly Firesheets

In this WELCOA Pulse, we discuss the addiction epidemic and its impact on the workforce, provide a framework to help participants think of addiction as a biopsychosocial issue, and talk about the challenges of stigma in promoting healthy attitudes about substance use. We also discuss the idea that workplaces can be part of the solution to the addiction epidemic, and discuss tangible steps that employers can take to be part of a solution.

Learning Objectives/Takeaways:

• Understand the addiction epidemic and the implications for employee well-being.
• Discuss the role of stigma in perpetuating addiction in the workplace.
• Consider unintended consequences of addiction, and how employers can play a role in mitigating them.
• Describe policy and practice adjustments that employers can make to promote a culture of recovery and healthy substance use.