8:00 – 8:30 Virtual Networking
8:30 – 9:00 Introductions
9:00 – 11:00 Virtual Presentation: “The Recovery Friendly Workplace – How Businesses Support Employees in Recovery” with John Narine, DBA, CEAP, Leading Workplace Addiction & David Shapiro, MPH(c)
Link to Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/162331194
Content:
Problematic substance use is estimated to cost employers and taxpayers $696 billion each year in absenteeism, health care costs, lost productivity, and criminal justice costs. -National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH; National Safety Council; National Opinion Research Center. Recovery Friendly Workplaces (RFWs) are organizations that uses evidence-based policies and practices to unite the entire organization by recognizing recovery from addiction as a strength and by being willing to work intentionally with people in recovery. This presentation will explore the current RFW initiative as well as leadership strategies that help business leaders provide employees with recovery of the environment and support, they need to promote a safe, healthy, and productive workplace. Utilizing the practices presented, EAPs can help workplace managers and supervisors learn how to address employee problematic substance use in the workplace and provide the opportunities for employees to find recovery, stay in recovery, and improve their performance.
2 PDH’s - Domain TBD
Dr. John Narine is a person in recovery and founder of Recovery Friendly Leader, a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower leaders with solution-based strategies to support employees impacted by addiction and promote safer, healthier, and more productive workplaces. As an employee who has struggled with addiction, John understands and can relate to others who constantly live-in fear of being judged or fired while trying to keep up demand. After making progress in his journey to recovery, John reflected on his experiences and realized that many former employers tried to help him and meant well but did not have the skills to properly address problematic substance use and provide the support and guidance needed to help him become a healthy and productive employee. This ignited a passion and commitment to wholeheartedly serve the community by advocating for safe, healthy, and productive workplaces. As an active member of his recovery program, John has also become a Certified Employee Assistance Professional, received his Doctorate in Business Administration by completing a qualitative research study on Leadership Strategies to Prevent Substance Abuse Relapse and Optimize Business Viability, and is the author of Leading Workplace Addiction. John’s other commitments include serving as a Consultant for Colorado’s Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative, Board Member of the Rocky Mountain Chapter Employee Assistance Professional Association and sitting at the table for several recovery-based coalitions locally and nationally.
David Shapiro is senior manager of programs and partnerships at the Center for Health, Work & Environment (CHWE) and manages day-to-day operations of CHWE’s signature public health outreach program, Health Links™. In this role, he consults with organizations in the Health Links Healthy Workplace Network, sharing resources and recommendations to help them implement a Total Worker Health® approach and support the health and safety of their teams. Prior to joining the center, David served as the business relations manager for EPIC (Executives Partnering to Invest in Children) where he helped the organization grow from 10 founding members to over 75 executives focused on Colorado’s investment in early childhood. David’s past work experience also includes a successful sales career in Colorado’s ski industry and leading a fatherhood initiative in Summit County (Colorado) Government’s Youth & Family Services division. A proud husband and father of three, David is a lifelong learner and relationship builder. His hobbies include tennis, hiking, reading, and RVing.