Health Team Launches Website to Help Businesses Address Opioid Use Disorder
Arizona has not been immune from the opioid epidemic; at least two Arizonans die daily from an opioid overdose. Workplaces represent a unique place where people – and by extension their families – can receive support and resources to combat their addiction. It was armed with this knowledge that members of Valley Leadership’s Impact Maker Health Team developed, and recently launched, a website that guides businesses of all sizes and industries to build a program to engage employees on their health – and break the stigma associated with seeking help for opioid use disorder.
Visit the site at oud.impactmakeraz.org.
It can be hard to know where to start when it comes to creating an employee program to address opioid misuse in the workplace. We brought together human resources experts, committed companies and passionate volunteers to make this site a reality.
Debra Stevens, Impact Maker Health Team lead and SVP of communications and donor relations at HonorHealth Foundation
Users will find curated tools based on their organization’s size, current policies in place and resources available to support their employees’ health and safety. The Impact Maker Health Team specifically focused on resources for leaders, human resources programming, policies, benefits, employee communication and tools for employees.
The biggest barrier to seeking treatment is the stigma and fear people have, particularly that they will lose their jobs. We believe if more organizations look at their policies – or put policies in place – they can help people seek the support they need and will save lives in Arizona.
Dr. Nick Vasquez, the Impact Maker Health Team chair and an emergency physician for Envision Healthcare
In addition to this work, the Impact Maker Health Team has also focused on bringing more fresh produce to communities in South Phoenix that are food deserts. Impact Maker is an initiative of Valley Leadership that activates its alumni, community champions and partners to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing Arizona, including health, education and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, among others.
The Impact Maker is built to bring together diverse members of the community, deploy them to understand the challenges at hand and then to take action together. What you see today is one such action, and these will add up over time to make a meaningful impact on this and other issues we face as Arizonans.
Dave Brown, CEO of Valley Leadership