WOOD COUNTY, OH (WTOL) - Substance abuse is touching more and more facets of the community. Now, employers are feeling its effects.
But a new program,the Working Partners Drug-Free Workforce Community Initiative, is hoping to turn that trend around in Wood County.
"Working with supervisors in the community to educate them on prevention services in the community as well as resources for employers," said Amanda Moser, a board liaison for the new program.
She says businesses have seen a spike in drug related issues and recently reached out to them.
"They cannot get employees who are substance abuse free, and I think this initiative will help to address that and prevent and eliminate the substance abuse in the workplace," Moser said.
Moser says recognizing this issue, along with strengthening existing personnel and coming up with solutions, will help to develop a healthier, educated, and more productive workforce.
That can ultimately improve the overall economy.
"We'll be able to be given a second chance," Moser said. "Say they slip up one time, or they make a bad decisions they're not automatically unemployed. Especially since they have families. You have to really look at it from a humanistic and economic perspective."
Wood County is one of 18 communities involved across the state. The initiative is funded through a grant from Working Partners and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
The program is still in the infant stages. But the goal is to have it up and running by September.
