How the Workforce System Can Address Challenges Presented by the Opioid Crisis

The widespread and ongoing misuse of opioids has become a national public emergency, with more than 130 people dying each day from opioid-related drug overdoses. Research suggests that most employers feel their workplace has been affected by opioid-related issues, but few feel prepared to deal with them. State workforce systems can serve people in recovery, help to develop the health care workforce, and reach out to employers to address the opioid crisis in local communities. It is important to document states’ innovative approaches to addressing economic and workforce-related impacts of the opioid crisis, including an account of implementation challenges and promising practices, so that promising programs can be scaled up and replicated in other parts of the country.