By: Jennifer Faringer, MS Ed, CPP-G

With the support of the Office of Addiction Services and Support (OASAS) through the State Opioid Response (SOR) grant funding, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence – Rochester Area (NCADD-RA) is utilizing an OASAS-approved Promising Prevention Program (PPP) Team Awareness for Workplace Wellness (TAWW). With this model, the NCADD-RA will offer workplace wellness modules integrated with substance misuse prevention modules upon request.

This two-year project involves a discovery phase working closely with the research/development team at Organizational Wellness and Learning Systems (OWLS) that included key leadership interviews, followed by focus groups in conjunction with a wide dissemination of a Business Leader Workplace Wellness Survey. The intention of the discovery/capacity building phase is to gather local/regional input as modules are adapted to meet the needs of local businesses. The NCADD-RA is leading this initiative within our SOR collaborative partners which include prevention providers across four additional counties (Chemung, Livingston, Steuben and Tioga).

The Rochester Chamber of Commerce is hosting a webinar with Dr. Joel Bennett (primary researcher/developer) and NCADD-RA Director Jennifer Faringer, who will share more information on the project from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 15. Registration for “How a Compassionate Business and its Employees Can Help Heal the Nation,” is available on the Rochester Chamber of Commerce website.

To learn more about the Workplace Wellness project and view associated resources, visit NCADD-RA’s website. For more information, please contact TAWW Project Coordinator Valerie Way at vway@depaul.org or NCADD-RA Director Jennifer Faringer at jfaringer@depaul.org or call (585) 719-3480.