Rhode Island has become the first state to sign on to a new drug recovery initiative that Governor Chris Sununu is promoting on the national scale.
The effort, called “Recovery Friendly Workplace,” is aimed at getting the private sector involved in combating the opioid crisis. Businesses can apply to the program to be certified as recovery friendly. That means they offer certain training to managers and support for employees struggling with substance abuse.
“Our workplaces are really part of our lives,” Sununu said Tuesday. “It’s part of the cultural change that we’re trying to bring to the table. And at the end of the day, it’s simply more profitable.”
Nearly 30 companies and organizations have signed on since the initiative launched earlier this month. Sununu's office is working with the non-profit Facing Addiction to expand the effort nationwide.
