With some 23 million Americans recovering from substance use disorder, some 70 percent are active in the workforce. There are now 50 organizations participating in Recovery Friendly Hamilton County (RFHC), an initiative of Hamilton County Public Health designed to give those in recovery a greater chance to succeed.
Recovery Friendly Workplaces support their communities by recognizing recovery from substance use disorder as a strength and by being willing to work intentionally with people in recovery. Recovery Friendly Workplaces encourage a healthy and safe environment where employers, employees, and communities can collaborate to create positive change and eliminate barriers for those impacted by substance use disorder.
RFHC began with a vision at Hamilton County Public Health to equip local employers with the tools & resources necessary to address substance use disorder among their personnel. Whether they realize it or not, Hamilton County employers are incurring the cost of substance misuse through decreased productivity, absenteeism, turnover, and other critical losses.
“We modeled Recovery Friendly Hamilton County on similar programs currently working around the country,” according to Greg Kesterman, Hamilton County health commissioner. “Everyone deserves a chance to succeed in life. Gainful employment is an important tool on the road to recovery,” he adds.
The initiative, launched in 2022, quickly enlisted 50 companies and organizations and the movement continues to grow. Participants represent a “who’s who” of Hamilton County, including county government, nonprofit organizations, retail, entertainment and manufacturing companies.
For more information about Recovery Friendly Hamilton County, visit www.hcph.org. The RFHC page offers a calculator to determine the economic toll substance misuse has on workplaces. You can also find participating companies as well as information on joining the initiative.
