United Way of Northwest Vermont is pleased to announce a new Employer Guide to Substance Misuse, a toolkit designed to support Vermont employers in promoting healthy and safe workplaces. The free toolkit is available online at bit.ly/substance-misuse-toolkit.

The Employer Guide to Substance Misuse was created in partnership with Working Bridges, a program of United Way of Northwest Vermont and Green Mountain United Way, and Prevention Works! VT. A workgroup made up of Vermont employers and community organizations focused on substance misuse prevention and recovery participated in the project.

United Way’s Working Bridges program partners with several Vermont employers whose employees and workplaces have been directly impacted by substance misuse. The toolkit is modeled after the Employer Guide to Supporting Employee Mental Health, created in 2022 by United Way’s Working Bridges and Mental Health Initiative.

“Just like mental health, we are all impacted by the ripple effects of substance misuse in our communities, including workplaces,” said Working Bridges Director Connie Beal. “This toolkit is designed to help workplaces destigmatize conversations about substance misuse, offer guidance in how to address it, and help them go upstream with policies and practices that focus on prevention.”

Development of the toolkit was funded by United Way’s Prevention Lead Organization grant from the Vermont Department of Health’s Division of Substance Use Programs with additional support from University of Vermont Medical Center’s Community Health Investment Fund.

Organized into six sections — culture, laws, policy, prevention, intervention, and recovery — the toolkit emphasizes understanding substance misuse as part of a continuum that can lead to dependency, significantly affecting individuals and employers.

“Substance misuse prevention strategies are most effective when they reach people in multiple settings, including workplaces. It’s encouraging to see Vermont employers proactively seeking guidance and sharing knowledge and best practices to support the health and well-being of their employees and community. I’m hopeful this toolkit will inspire continued conversation and collaboration to strengthen substance misuse prevention efforts across Vermont,” said Prevention Works! VT Director of Programs Beth Shrader.

The Vermont employers who contributed to the toolkit’s development are supporting employees in health care and manufacturing settings with unique needs and risk factors.

“Healthcare workers face numerous stressors and daily challenges. The pressures of long hours, emotional strain, and a high-stakes environment contribute to growing concerns for substance misuse among our dedicated and diverse workforce,” said Evelyn Sikorski, Manager of Employee Health and Employee and Family Assistance at the University of Vermont Medical Center. “Recognizing, understanding, and responding to these challenges is crucial for workplace and worker wellbeing and safety.”

Eric Ciemniewski, Senior Director of Manufacturing at Teknor Apex in St. Albans, shares that physical safety has always been a top priority for the global manufacturing company. Increasingly, the company has focused on the emotional safety and mental wellbeing of employees as well.

“In the manufacturing field, particularly in rural areas of Vermont, people can be reluctant to talk about their problems. We need to destigmatize conversations about substance misuse and mental health in the workplace, so employees feel comfortable asking for help before it becomes a safety issue,” Ciemniewski said.

The Employer Guide to Substance Misuse workgroup was facilitated by consultant Bryan O’Connor and coordinated by Adrienne Lueders-Dumont, United Way of Northwest Vermont’s Senior Communications Coordinator. In addition to Connie Beal, Beth Shrader, and Evelyn Sikorski (quoted in this press release), workgroup participants included: Tammy Bushell of Edlund Corporation, Tawyna Kristen of Green Mountain United Way, Jody Lantman of Rhino Foods, and Lisa Lord of Recovery Vermont.