Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • September 3, 2018 • Hartford Business Journal 21 OTHER VOICES Business community can play key role preventing prescription opioid abuse By Shawn M. Lang C onnecticut's opioid statistics aren't pretty. Residents are more likely to die from an overdose, whether from illicit opioids or prescription opioids, than an automobile accident. Medicines that are valuable in reliev- ing patients' pain are being overpre- scribed and misused, resulting in long- term substance use disorders and death. The good news is that countless prevention efforts are underway. The progress was highlighted during a recent gathering of stakeholders represent- ing healthcare providers, public health representatives, first responders, small businesses and other commu- nity members. We discussed ways we can better work to- gether to support primary preven- tion efforts and how we can learn from each other about prevention best practices. This collective approach is being facilitated nationally by Allied Against Opioid Abuse (AAOA). The convener of the roundtable, AAOA is helping coor- dinate a community-based response to the opioid crisis. They also provided attendees an array of resources centered on the rights, risks and responsibilities associated with prescription opioids as primary prevention tools. These educational resources are aimed at preventing opioid use disorder (OUD) by generating aware- ness about the importance of safe use, storage and disposal of prescription opioids. About 40 percent of individu- als who report misusing prescrip- tion opioids say they got them from friends or family members for free, so safeguarding these medications is an essential prevention measure. In addition to promoting individual action, the event highlighted how the business community can get involved and help to educate their employees. Connecticut's small businesses want to get involved and help address the pub- lic health crisis. Using resources from AAOA or the state's Change the Script program, they can help to educate their employees as a starting point. We also discussed resources to sup- port employees who may already be affected by opioid use disorder whether personally or through a family member. The National Safety Council estimates more than 20 percent of the workforce may be using opiates non-medically. This means the effects of opioid use disorder — including absenteeism, lost productivity, accidents, attrition and higher healthcare costs — are already affecting Connecticut companies. The National Safety Council Employer Guide can help businesses get started in addressing opioids in the workplace. Other event participants are eager to guide business and community ef- forts as well. The Connecticut Opioid Overdose Prevention Work Group, Community Health Advocacy Forum, Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, University of Con- necticut Health Emergency Medical Services, and city of New London are doing great work. Several workforce organizations, including IUOE Local 478 and the Connecticut Business & Industry Association are working to share prevention best practices learned from the session in the workplace. These organizations deserve credit for their commitment to combating substance use, and we appreciate their sharing knowledge with our broad-based group of stakeholders. The ongoing col- laboration we're witnessing is the best sign yet that Connecticut will soon beat the opioid epidemic once and for all. Shawn M. Lang is the deputy director of Aids Connecticut and chair of the CT Opioid Overdose Prevention Workgroup. HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM POLL LAST WEEK'S POLL RESULT: Does your company have open positions it's unable to fill? NEXT WEEK'S POLL: Are apprenticeships a worthwhile workforce-development tool? To vote, go online to hartfordbusiness.com BIZ BOOKS Overcoming C-suite bias By Jim Pawlak "Nevertheless, She Persisted — True Stories of Women Leaders in Tech" by Pratima Rao Gluck- man (Friesen Press, $24.99). Why don't more women choose careers in science-, technology-, engi- neering- and math-related fields? It's not because of their aptitude, attitude or interest; it's because of the glass ceilings in STEM industries. Gluckman highlights 19 women who achieved suc- cess in tech based upon performance excellence and their ability to overcome gender bias. Their stories highlight the importance of speaking up. Each story has career-strategy pointers. Here are takeaways from a few of my favorites: Jennifer Anderson, now an engineer- ing leader in Uber's data group, looked to role models to shape her manage- ment style. She states: "I would look at what people above me were doing. I'd ask myself, 'What can I learn from that? What are they doing that I'm not?' " She learned not only what worked, but what didn't. Through her role models, she recognized the importance of soft skills in management, and worked on improving speak- ing with more confidence, clarity in writing and becoming more decisive. She also learned the dif- ference between bragging and tooting her own horn (i.e. making sure others are aware of contributions and accomplishments). Annabel Liu, former VP of engineer- ing development for LinkedIn's talent solutions and careers platform, found that "women need to build a deep network plus social capital (i.e. status and credibility gained by association with high-performing, well-connected people). True connection goes deeper than friendship. It involves finding allies who share your ambition and dreams — and working together to find ways to achieve success for all. Liu also found that being "hands- on" didn't work well when she moved into management. Feedback early on told her that she was micromanaging, rather than collaborating. Relative to career development, Liu says, "think two jobs ahead." Looking at where you want to be helps you focus on the skills you'll need to hone to get there. 43.5% No 56.5% Yes READER COMMENTS: "Filling the positions is not the issue -- filling them with self- motivated quality hard-working individuals is the issue." "Very difficult for young families to move to CT. We only hope some of the positions can be filled by those willing to stay in the state because of family." Shawn M. Lang Jim Pawlak Book Review

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