Safety Symposium: Help a co-worker with addiction or mental health challenges

Mental health issues, addiction, and suicide are not typical conversations at the worksite. The stigma associated with addiction and mental health issues can prevent co-workers from seeking help, resulting in suffering in silence and shame, or worse.

But, what if we had the power to change that? Imagine helping a co-worker get the help they need to overcome a challenging time. It may seem intimidating or something that is out of your hands, but the truth is that we all have the ability to get a conversation started that could change things for the better.

On March 28, the Operating Engineers Local 478 will host a training on how to help a co-worker with a substance abuse disorder or mental health issue:

Date: Wednesday, March 28th, 2018
Location: IUOE Local 478, 1965 Dixwell Ave, Hamden
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (registration opens at 7:00 a.m.)
Cost: Free, but you must register. Breakfast is included.
Register: Contact Ashley Dwyer at 203-288-9261, x249 or adwyer@local478.org

Communicating with workers who may be struggling with a substance abuse disorder or mental health issue is never an easy task. With the stigma around talking about mental health and the upswing in opioid use and overdoses, this is an important training for all local unions in the state.

Click here for a flyer you can share to help spread the word.

Topics to include:

• Critical communication techniques for helping a coworker who might be going through a tough time;
• Jobsite safety & impaired workers;
• Suicide rate increase and opioid use correlation;
• Misconceptions of mental health conditions; and,
• What other resources exist, like Mental Health First Aid, to help increase education in the industry.

Please contact Ashley Dwyer at 203-288-9261 ex. 249 or email adwyer@local478.org by March 1st to RSVP. This is a free event, but you must register. Breakfast will be included.