BWC’s Opioid Workplace Safety Pilot Program has begun in Montgomery County

On October 15, 2018, state officials and local business leaders met in Dayton, Ohio, to celebrate the launch of the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s Opioid Workplace Safety Pilot Program, which aims to mitigate the opioid crisis in some of the hardest-hit counties in Ohio.

Last month, the BWC announced that the program will provide up to $5 million to employers in Montgomery, Ross and Scioto County to help employers hire, maintain and retain individuals in recovery. The goal is to help employers fill positions while supporting recovering individuals’ efforts to find work.  Specifically, the program provides:

·Reimbursement for pre-employment, random and reasonable suspicion drug testing.

·Training for management and supervisory staff to help better manage a workforce that includes individuals in recovery.

·A forum/venue for “second-chance” employers to share success stories, encouraging others to hire workers in recovery.

Ultimately, the program seeks “to help businesses become more productive and workers in recovery stay on a healthy path and become productive citizens again,” explained Dr. Terrence Welsh, BWC’s chief medical officer.

With this launch, the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board of Montgomery County will be working with the BWC to administer the program. The BWC has already released enrollment and reimbursement forms for employers to submit via email.