Editor's Note: The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Workforce Center recently introduced an initiative called the Opioid Response Program for Business. The program is designed to help employers find additional support to navigate effective policies in the areas of hiring, treatment, recovery and prevention to combat the addiction epidemic in Kentucky. The program also hosts Employer Regional Technical Assistance Workshops across the state. Ashley McCarty, an Employment Specialist with the Workforce Center, details more about this resource for employers.
Ashley McCarty
As businesses struggle to find and retain workers, the opioid crisis is making Kentucky’s challenges even greater. Employers are feeling the impact firsthand as the crisis affects the workforce.
The state’s opioid epidemic is more than just a public health issue; it’s affecting the economy too. Statistics show that 71 percent of U.S. employers have been impacted in some way by the use of prescription drugs, and 84 percent of employers reported having difficulty finding qualified candidates due in part to the nation’s opioid epidemic.
The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce introduced an initiative addressing this topic by hosting the inaugural Kentucky Opioid Summit this past June. The summit highlighted a wealth of knowledge from a variety of experts regarding the opioid epidemic and saw 290 attendees representing more than 150 organizations. At the event, the Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center announced the creation of the Opioid Response Program for employers to be involved in the prevention, treatment and recovery of employees within their organizations.
To accomplish these goals, the Kentucky Chamber hired two employment specialists, including myself, to address barriers faced by Kentucky businesses regarding substance use disorder and help evaluate how it is impacting their company and their employees. My counterpart, Sonia Osman, and I assist these companies by researching ways for employers to analyze their unique struggles and find solutions to create a healthier workforce. Through the program, we help employers better understand their position in this crisis, reduce stigma in the workplace regarding substance use disorder and find ways to create a recovery-friendly culture. This initiative is the first of its kind and could completely transform Kentucky businesses and help evolve transformational employment opportunities for those in recovery from substance use disorder.
Employers are seeking direction to destigmatize this crisis by asking for trainings focused on substance use disorder. The Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center is partnering with multiple state entities—including the Office of Drug Control Policy, Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Strategic Initiative for Transformational Employment, and Kentuckiana Health Collaborative—to host Employer Regional Technical Assistance Workshops across the state. These workshops are the first of a series designed to educate employers on the basics of substance use disorder and addiction and how this crisis is affecting their business.
Recommendations and tools are provided to these employers to support their employees in recovery from or impacted by substance use disorder.
"I make it a point to let employers know that recovery is possible, and employment is a necessary component to recovery." —Ashley McCarty, Workforce Center Employment Specialist
I make it a point to let employers know that recovery is possible, and employment is a necessary component to recovery. Every individual needs a purpose, a passion and to live a self-directed life striving to reach his or her full potential. Transformational employment is the key to fighting this epidemic and changing lives.
I am very passionate about this initiative because I am living proof, as an individual in long-term recovery, that employment allows a person to realize his or her full potential. Six years ago, I was living in my car, and today I am educating employers by sharing my experience. I am very grateful to the Kentucky Chamber for being an employer that strives to maintain a recovery-friendly culture and reduce stigma surrounding this struggle. As an employment specialist, I work to engage other businesses to create a similar culture.
This is a great opportunity for business leaders and professionals to learn more about how the opioid epidemic is plaguing our great state of Kentucky. Learn more at kychamber.com.