Businesses from Across Ohio Participate in Course to Help Implement or Refine Drug-Free Workplace Policies, Address Growing Problem of Finding Drug-Free Employees

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Working Partners® (www.WorkingPartners.com) Drug-Free Workforce Community Initiative (DFWCI) – a public-private partnership between the state of Ohio and Working Partners® to increase the employable, drug-free workforce in Ohio – is pleased to announce they have registered 111 participants for their intensive, drug-free workplace (DFWP) management, consultation and technical assistance course. These participants represent 70 small and mid-sized Ohio businesses employing nearly 10,000 workers across all industry sectors. 

Jan Myers of Terri Roberts Co. in Cambridge said upon completing the course, "I am grateful for our company's opportunity to gain this critical information. I feel as we work to address the issue of substance abuse in the workplace, we can benefit the community as a partner."

One of the key objectives of DFWCI is to establish a nucleus of businesses across the 17 participating counties that have received this training designed to help them implement or refine their drug-free operations, including second-chance policies.

"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," said Dee Mason, founder and CEO of Working Partners®. "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." 

Topics covered in this graduate-level course include drug trends impacting the workforce/workplace, legal issues impacting a DFWP program (e.g., Ohio's marijuana law, ADA, DOT, OSHA) and best practices for operationalizing a policy/program. In addition, businesses that complete the course will have 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.

OhioMHAS and Working Partners® have developed a public-private partnership to move the Working Partners® DFWCI forward throughout the state. The Initiative supports local employment strategies related to drug-free workplaces. OhioMHAS 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 increase the employable drug-free workforce by implementing a variety of best practices. For more information visit www.WorkingPartners.com.

SOURCE Working Partners

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