Addressing Addiction & Mental Health in the Workplace
These AHS Addiction & Mental Health resources cover topics and issues specific to the workplace. Whether you're a manager, an employee, a safety supervisor, an allied health professional or a small business owner, you'll find useful resources to help you make your workplace safe, healthy and productive.
It’s Our Business: Resource Manual
For AHS Staff & Allied Health Professionals
The Its Our Business (IOB) manual is a resource for AHS Addiction & Mental Health (AMH) staff and allied health professionals. It is intended to enhance and support AHS work with Alberta’s employers while assisting with health promotion and prevention strategies and activities. This evidence based resource, will help to support businesses in reducing the harm associated with Addiction & Mental Health concerns and foster and maintain healthy, safe workplaces and employees.
Resource manual will help users to:
- understand the business case for investing in employee health and workplace programs
- understand Addiction & Mental Health issues
- learn about alcohol and other drugs, tobacco, gambling and mental health in the workplace
- learn to talk openly about this subject with their staff
- help their employees find Addiction & Mental Health services they need, confidentially and appropriately
- learn how to foster and maintain a healthy, safe workplace where people feel valued and motivated
Download: IOB Manual | IOB Handouts
Download the IOB Handouts by Module
- Module 1: Workplace health and the business case (handout)
- Module 2: Promoting workplace health (handout)
- Module 3: Understanding Addiction & Mental Health in the workplace (handout)
- Module 4: Family and social support (handout)
- Module 5: Policy development (handout)
- Module 6: Fit for work (handout)
- Module 7: Effective performance management (handout)
- Module 8: Getting help: Treatment, return to work and accommodation (handout)
It's Our Business: Workplace Information Series
This series offers basic information related to substance use and gambling in the workplace.
For Employers
- Alcohol/Drug Policy Development and Employee Testing Information about developing and applying a company policy on alcohol and other drug use, and about employee testing for alcohol or other drugs.
- Dealing With the Troubled Employee Tips on identifying a troubled employee, recording observations, meeting with the employee to discuss the problem, and following up to make sure it is solved.
- The Basics: Alcohol, Other Drugs and Gambling Answers to basic questions, along with a brief quiz and a checklist of warning signs that a substance use or gambling problem could be developing.
- The Addicted Employee: After Treatment Specific steps that employees, co-workers and employers can take to deal with concerns about an employee coming back to work after treatment.
- An Addiction in the Family: What It Means for the Workplace Information on how addiction can affect families, how a family problem can affect employee behaviour at work, and how workplaces and families can work together to deal effectively with addiction.
- Workplace Peer Support Overview of what workplace peer support is all about: the benefits, types of support available, ways employers can promote peer support, and tips for starting a peer support team in your organization.
- Workplace Health and Wellness General information on the benefits of promoting a healthy workplace, how employees can look after their own health and how workplaces can contribute to employee wellness.
- How to Support Your Employee's Fitness for Work Advice for employers on how to focus on fitness for work, which can help to prevent and reduce workplace safety and performance concerns related to substance use and gambling.
For Employees
- Is Drinking, Using Drugs or Gambling Affecting My Work? Booklet that helps employees to assess whether their work is being affected by their substance use or gambling, and offers suggestions on finding further help.
- What You Need to Know About Fitness for Work Booklet outlining the concept of fitness for work and describing how substance use and gambling affect fitness for work, what an employee can do to be fit for work, and what someone can do when others are not fit for work.
- Does Someone I Work With Have Problem? Guidelines and tips for successfully intervening with a co-worker who may have an alcohol, other drug or gambling problem.
- Supporting Your Fitness for Work One-page info sheet that defines fitness for work, offers tips for being healthy and safe at work, and encourages employees to think about whether substance use or gambling is affecting their life.
To request a print copy or if you require more information contact the AHS Addiction Prevention Unit: addiction.prevention@ahs.ca
