Presentation by Jen Gregory, Thomas Kowalik, Julie Dostal on efforts made by the Collaborative Recovery Empowerment of the Southern Tier to establish a strategy for scaling evidence-based prevention of substance misuse for workplaces in the Southern Tier of New York

1. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem

2. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem

3. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem
Our Mission:
To partner with member counties to identify and address multi-county issues
in order to improve the quality of life within the region.

4. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem

5. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem
ASSESSMENT & STRATEGY
• Stigma Reduction
• Business/Workplace Engagement
• Recovery Education
• Relationship Building
• Recovery Peer Supports
• Medical Provider Engagement
• Workforce Supports
• Transportation Barriers

6. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem
Establish & Build & Maintain & Expand your partnerships…& Repeat

7. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem

8. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem

9. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem

10. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem
Thomas Kowalik, Ed.D.

11. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem
Ecosystem Support
 Strategic Networking
 Public & Private Sector Engagement
 Regional Unified Message
 Best Practices Shared
 Collaboration Encouraged

12. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem
 Brought Partner Strengths Together
 Developed Marketing Strategy
 Adjusted Messaging as necessary

13. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem
Contracted with Organizational Wellness
Learning Systems OWLS
Business Survey Findings:
 238 respondents
 All in need of hiring & retaining employees (lowest
unemployment rate since 1990)
 25% small businesses lost 50% time with mental health
issues
 2/3 less resources in Appalachia New York than rest of
State
 3 times the average annual cost impact to small
business (than larger Corps)

14. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem
Contracted with Organizational Wellness Learning Systems OWLS
To increase business participation with
SUD recovery workforce
With evidence-based approach

15. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem
Julie Dostal, Ed.S. LMHC
Executive Director
LEAF Council
on Alcoholism & Addiction
Oneonta, NY

16. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem
Historic Substance Misuse Prevention Focus:
 Youth
 Families
 Communities
 Laws/Policies
Recent Expansion
 Prevention Across the Lifespan
 Workforce & Workplace Wellbeing
 Health promotion
.
PREVENTION
IN THE WORKPLACE
WHY THIS?
WHY NOW?
PUBLIC HEALTH
CONNECTION:
We don’t stop diabetes,
heart disease,
hypertension, and
cancer prevention at
12th grade

17. Upstate NY & Rural Life:
Small is REALLY Small
Far is REALLY Far
Most businesses have less than 100
employees (58%)*
84% of those are have less than 10.
Many Areas have
less than 25
people per
square mile.
* From our capacity building survey sample

18. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem: The Process
Looking at the Rural Workforce
•Needs Assessment
•Capacity Building
•Relationship is
Everything
•Lots of Coffee

19. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem: The Problem
Managers, Supervisors and CEOs spend an average
of 39%* of their time Dealing with employee:
(Capacity Building Survey)
Fatigue
General health concerns
Alcohol misuse
Other drug use
*as high as 70%
Stress
Burnout
Mental health concerns
Lack of sleep

20. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem: The Problem
ECONOMETRICS FROM CAPACITY BUILDING EFFORTS
(PILOT STUDY)
Bennett, J. B., Chan, A., Abellanoza, A., Bhagelai, R., Gregory, J., Dostal, J. M., & Faringer, J. (2022). More vulnerable, more to gain? A pilot study of
leader’s perceptions of mental health programs and costs in small workplaces. American Journal of Health Promotion.
Lost Time & Productivity
due to mental health-
related exposures*
Small Businesses
(less than 100 employees)
Medium and Large
Businesses
(100 or more employees)
Managers & Supervisors
Average Annual Cost
Per Business
$25,134 $41,996
Employees
Average Annual Cost
Per Business
$108,313 $3,400,000
*Stress, burnout, mental health concerns, lack of sleep, fatigue,
general health concerns, alcohol misuse, other drug use.

21. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem: The Response
Building Training Capacity
•Leverage Grant Dollars
•Employ a Project Coordinator
•Create a Network of Prevention Providers
•Prepare Trainers for Facilitation
•Engage Trainers in Capacity Building (Data Collection)
•Adapt OWLS Evidence-Based Training

22. The Response: Adaptive, Evidence Based Training

23. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem: The Results
Sample: Early Implementation Pre/Post Data
Survey Item
(Data from Final Report Prepared by OWLS)
Pre Post
Overall, I am confident that I can keep stress
from affecting my performance at work.
49% 68% 39%
My coworkers (team) contribute to my
resilience.
62% 82% 32%
I know my own early warning signs for stress. 47% 75% 60%
I am confident that I can recognize these signs
before I experience too much stress.
32% 92% 187%

24. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem: Moving Forward
Sustainability
•Expand Training Capacity
•Enhance Partnership with Chambers
•Follow the Data
•Integrate into Prevention Programming
•INSPIRE 3 and Beyond…

25. Building the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem: Join Us!