New resource manual to help employers deal with substance abuse
The Atlantic Provinces are joining together to offer employers a new way of dealing with the impact of substance abuse in the workplace.
“The Atlantic Canada Council on Addiction... has produced a resource toolkit that should be on every employer’s bookshelf,” said Keith Dewar, chief executive officer of Health PEI. “Addiction affects everyone, and this toolkit will help organizations build capacity and strengthen their response to the potentially damaging effect of substance abuse.”
Formally called Addressing Problematic Substance Use that Impacts the Workplace, the resource manual is the product of a three-year Atlantic Canada project funded by Health Canada. At a meeting in 2005, Atlantic Canada deputy ministers and Health Canada decided to collaborate in the areas of mental health and addictions. The Atlantic Canada Council on Addiction chose addictions in the workplace as the topic for a joint demonstration project.
Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island are all currently launching the toolkit and will soon start testing it with select employers, training stakeholders in its use and evaluating the success of the project.
