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Working Partners coordinates regularly with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA),
the Federal government’s primary substance abuse prevention and intervention agency. SAMHSA is part of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. The purpose of this coordination is to help incorporate workplace issues
into the agency’s various programs and policies. Examples of SAMHSA initiatives that Working Partners supports
include the following:
National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month
Working Partners serves on the planning committee for
National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month (Recovery Month), which is sponsored by SAMHSA’s Center for
Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT). This annual month-long campaign educates that achieving recovery from alcoholism and
drug addiction is a collective effort requiring the participation of all sectors of society, including the workplace.
The purpose of Working Partners’ participation in Recovery Month is to help engage employers and work organizations,
encouraging them to maintain
recovery-friendly workplaces and implement policies and programs that increase access to
addiction treatment for workers. As such, Working Partners assists each year in the development of Recovery Month
materials targeted at businesses and workers and has participated in several
Webcasts
and Webchats
on related issues.
Helpline
Working Partners also exchanges information and ideas with the Workplace Helpline (1-800-WORKPLACE), a service of
SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) that provides technical assistance to employers in developing
programs and policies to address workplace substance abuse. The Helpline’s trained specialists advise on regulated
versus non-regulated drug-free workplace programs as well as policy development. In doing so, the Helpline promotes
Working Partners’ five-step approach to a drug-free workplace, and, when appropriate, refers callers to Working
Partners’ online policy development tool and other resources. Similarly, Working Partners refers people seeking
one-on-one assistance to the Helpline.
Publications
From time to time, Working Partners also provides assistance to SAMHSA in developing substance abuse-related materials
for distribution to employers and workers. Examples of such publications include
Are you in Recovery from Alcohol or Drug Problems,
which provides information about Federal laws that
prohibit discrimination against people with a history of substance use disorders, and
Substance Use Disorders in the Workplace: A Guide to Recovery for Employees
, a brochure that educates employees about substance use
disorders.
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