OWLS Programs Recognized by U.S. Surgeon General

Posted by Joel Bennett on

The first ever Surgeon General’s report on “Facing Addiction in America” came out recently (November, 2016). It cited OWLS evidence-based programs, Team Awareness and Team Resilience, as the only ones that met their criteria for effectiveness for workplace prevention. The Surgeon General’s “seal of approval” delivers a powerful message, providing perhaps the ultimate validation for their efficacy. Trainers certified in these programs are encouraged to underscore this in their marketing materials, mentioning that they have been trained in aspects of these programs.

PREVENTION WORKS.

Additionally, the acknowledgement gives us hope that employers and agencies will receive the message "Prevention Works!" We hope they will start using prevention to combat the growing problem of prescription drug misuse within their work settings, among family members, and in the communities they work in and serve. To see a summary of recent results of OWLS research on Rx prevention, click here.

See the excerpt from the Surgeon General's report below.

WE CAN HELP.

Contact us (click here) if you would like to

  • use evidence-based programs in your health promotion work

  • find a trainer in your area

  • receive these training programs for you or your company

  • learn how to get certified, or

  • seek to integrate health promotion with the prevention of substance misuse (including prescription drugs).

SG_INSERTEXCERPT BELOW

FACING ADDICTION IN AMERICA The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health

https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-generals-report.pdf

Page 106 (Section 3-Page 13)

Programs in Adult Workplaces

Two programs met this Report’s criteria for workplace or clinic-based prevention programs;170-172 others have not shown significant preventive effects longer than 6 months.173 The successful programs, Team Awareness and Team Resilience, were delivered in three 2-hour sessions to restaurant workers and led to decreases in heavy drinking and work-related problems. These programs reached approximately 30,000 workers in diverse settings, including military, tribal, and government settings, and with ex-offenders, young restaurant workers, and more.170,172


    1. Snow, D. L., Swan, S. C., & Wilton, L. (2003). A workplace coping-skills intervention to prevent alcohol abuse. In J. B. Bennett & W. E. K. Lehman (Eds.), Preventing workplace substance abuse: Beyond drug testing to wellness. (pp. 57-96). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
    2. Longabaugh, R., Woolard, R. E., Nirenberg, T. D., Minugh, A. P., Becker, B., Clifford, P. R., . . . Gogineni, A. (2001). Evaluating the effects of a brief motivational intervention for injured drinkers in the emergency department. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 62(6), 806-816.
    3. Broome, K. M., & Bennett, J. B. (2011). Reducing heavy alcohol consumption in young restaurant workers. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 72(1), 117-124.
    4. Ames, G. M., & Bennett, J. B. (2011). Prevention interventions of alcohol problems in the workplace: A review and guiding framework. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, 34(2), 175-187.

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