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HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | September 26, 2022 37 Windsor Federal 860.688.8511 | www.WindsorFederal.com | Building Solid Partnerships in Our Communities Since 1936 Welcoming to our local, experienced team: Wayne Webster Vice President, Commercial Business Development tion and health services sectors, BLS data shows. "It can become a cyclical problem from injury to medication, or substance use back to increased risk of injury at work," said Dr. Adam Seidner, The Hartford's chief medical officer. Unfortunately, some workers die before they're able to receive appro- priate treatment. Swift said science and empathy are needed to address the problem. Attorney Joan Feldman, chair of Shipman & Goodwin's health law practice group, said there is a "tremendous need" for substance use disorder services across the nation and that demand for behavioral health and substance use disorder clinicians is greater than ever. "Early identification, education and removal of stigma in the workplace will be an important first step to getting individuals the treatment they need before the problems impact the employee's performance and personal well-being," Feldman said. Bottom-line impact The Yale Program in Addiction Medicine's training curriculum, devel- oped by Fiellin and Dr. Jeanette Tetrault, helps clinicians better understand opioids and work-related injuries, identify and treat acute and chronic pain, and assess substance and opioid use disorders among injured workers. "The focus on work-related injury, pain and addiction in the training is unique," Fiellin said. "These are three conditions that are remark- ably common. However, healthcare professionals rarely receive formal training in each and even less commonly in the intersection of all three." The curriculum draws from an inter- professional viewpoint that includes primary care, occupational medicine, clinical psychology and addiction medicine to change the trajectory of work-related injuries, he explained. Seidner, who served as a consul- tant to the Yale team, wanted the curriculum to focus on improving workers' ability to do their jobs, preventing chronic pain through acute pain management and enabling a safe return to work following a workplace injury. "Substances can impact one's cognitive abilities, including percep- tion and reaction time," Seidner said. "A decrease in perception and reac- tion time can increase one's risk of workplace injuries and even death." As a workers' compensation and disability insurer, The Hartford knows the problem too well. Swift said the ongoing partnership with Yale reflects the company's belief that efforts by government, businesses, academia and neighborhood organizations are necessary to end the opioid crisis. The Hartford's research shows a direct correlation between employee mental well-being, mental health support and the company's net income, Swift said. A national survey conducted this year found 71% of U.S. employers feel the deteriorating mental health of their workforce is having a negative financial impact on their company. Two-thirds of employers feel substance misuse and addiction is a significant workplace issue, a 30% jump since March 2020, he added. "Reducing stigma in the work- place is paramount to improving the lives of millions of Americans, and I encourage business leaders to create stigma-free company cultures, increase access to mental health and addiction resources and partner with public policymakers on solutions," Swift said. The Yale Program in Addiction Medicine features training modules including slides, lectures and inter- active discussions about patient cases. Fiellin's team conducted an in-depth virtual training session for 25 clinicians in June. Participants gave positive feedback and demonstrated a knowledge gain based on pre- and post-training assessment scores, he said. The Yale team will refine and update the curriculum, conduct addi- tional virtual and in-person training sessions and teach more instructors to conduct the sessions. The Hartford launched the partner- ship with the Yale School of Medicine last year with a $150,000 unrestricted gift to the school. This year, the company provided $200,000. Joan Feldman CT INDUSTRY SECTORS WITH MOST REPORTED WORKPLACE INJURIES (2020) Education and health services .................................................................. 14,200 Trade, transportation, and utilities ....................................................... 8,000 Manufacturing ................................................................................................................ 4,500 Professional and business services ................................................... 2,100 Leisure and hospitality ........................................................................................ 1,900 Construction ..................................................................................................................... 1,400 Information ......................................................................................................................... 200 Source: BLS 2020 Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses