Gov. Chris Sununu announced Thursday he was forming an institute to promote the workplace recovery program he created in 2018 to help employers deal with workers suffering from substance abuse. The White House also recommended Thursday a model law on the topic all states should adopt and a toolkit that contains components of New Hampshire’s effort.
Gov. Chris Sununu announced Thursday he was forming an institute to promote the workplace recovery program he created in 2018 to help employers deal with workers suffering from substance abuse. The White House also recommended Thursday a model law on the topic all states should adopt and a toolkit that contains components of New Hampshire’s effort.
CONCORD — Gov. Chris Sununu said a Recovery Friendly Workplace national institute will be a clearinghouse for the best practices on how to reduce substance abuse in states across the country.
Sununu announced Thursday he had formed the institute that the Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation will house.
The governor will serve as the program’s honorary chairman and lead an advisory board that carries out a strategic plan.
Also Thursday, the White House released a new Recovery Ready Workplace Toolkit, along with a model law for state legislatures to establish recovery-ready workplaces that use components from New Hampshire’s program.
Sununu launched his initiative in 2018 to promote individual wellness for Granite Staters by empowering workplaces to provide education and resources for people living with substance use disorder.
The idea went nationwide later that year, and since then New Hampshire’s Recovery Friendly Workplace has hosted a community of practice with 35 states represented.
The program has grown to over 350 businesses in the state, representing more than 95,000 workers.
“When I launched the Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiative here in New Hampshire, our goal was to change the culture around addiction and engage employers in being a proactive part of their employees’ recovery,” Sununu said.
“Granite Staters can take pride that with today’s announcement, the model created here in New Hampshire will have an even greater lifesaving impact.”
The White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy National Drug Control Strategy describes New Hampshire as “pioneers in this domain.”
“Governor Sununu’s experience as a business owner and his leadership in New Hampshire in creating Recovery Friendly Workplaces has launched a national movement,” said Andrea Barthwell with the Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation. “He is the right leader at the right time to serve as the honorary chair of a national Recovery Friendly Workplace Institute.”
