Official State of Rhode Island website

State of Rhode Island Recovery Friendly Workplace Helping employers respond to substance use and mental health conditions in the Rhode Island workforce

Funding

Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH)

On behalf of the State, BHDDH has allocated funds from the SAMHSA State Opioid Response grant to deliver programming through the Recovery Friendly Workplace (RFW) Initiative. Funding through BHDDH supports the salaries of the RFW staff. In addition, funds support activities that assist businesses, state/local government, and organizations to implement programming that will:

  • Educate employers in evidence-based practices that demonstrably reduce substance misuse in the workplace;
  • Create work environments that are conducive to enabling persons in addiction and mental health recovery to sustain and re-enter the workforce as productive members of society;
  • Train employees, including specialized training for human resources personnel, on these matters;
  • Raise public awareness and provide information that supports health and safety for employees; and
  • Promote active community engagement that will assist in reducing the negative impact of unaddressed substance misuse and untreated mental health.

Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS)

On behalf of the State, EOHHS has also allocated funds from the Opioid Settlement to help support the activities and materials of the Recovery Friendly Workplace (RFW) Initiative.  This includes the annual job fair at the Rally4Recovery in Providence every September, participate in Open Doors annual job fair as well as other initiatives relating to Recovery Friendly RI. 

Department of Labor and Training

On behalf of the State, the DLT has been allocated $3.8 million dollars to implement the National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Demonstration (NHE) grant project, aimed to develop, expand, and upskill the healthcare workforce in the state to improve responsiveness to the opioid crisis and related areas of need. This grant also provides addiction/opioid education and services for workers/workforce in addition to career and training services for residents impacted by the opioid crisis including screening training for Community Based Organizations and public housing agencies. Deliverables of this project outline objectives for 970 participants:

  • 545 participants will be served through Real Jobs RI with targeted healthcare professional training, increasing the number and quality of Community Health Workers and Peer Recovery Specialists.
  • 350 individuals served through employment and training services through the Local Workforce Development Boards.
  • 75 skilled healthcare professionals trained in responding to Opioid Use Disorder through contracts with the RI Department of Health (RIDOH) and the RI Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (RI BHDDH).