Highmark Fights Opioid Stigma and
Promotes Workplace Recovery with Shatterproof
Highmark recently announced that its employer-based
members have access to new virtual education and advocacy
tools that combat stigma associated with opioid use disorder
and promote recovery in the workplace. These new resources,
which are a value-added service for Highmark group customers
in Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia, are offered in
collaboration with Shatterproof, a national nonprofit organi-
zation dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the U.S.
“Across the communities we serve, we found that stigma
associated with opioid use disorder is widespread,” says High-
mark President Deb Rice-Johnson. “And yet, despite that stigma,
we found that people want to help someone who is struggling
with opioid dependence. Our collaboration with Shatterproof
will help fight stigma so that opioid use disorder is viewed as
a chronic disease rather than a moral failing. It will also equip
workplaces and our members with the knowledge and resources
to start a conversation about opioids and help those in need.”
Through Shatterproof, Highmark’s employer-based mem-
bers can engage in brief, interactive education modules that
explore the science of opioid use disorder; environmental and
genetic risk factors; the dangers of opioids; signs, symptoms
and evidence-based treatment options; ways to help individu-
als and families; and success stories of individuals who are in
recovery. These modules, which take around five minutes each
to complete, also provide supplemental videos, fact sheets and
other evidence-based resources for those who want a deeper
dive on each subject.
“As the opioid crisis has evolved, so has our response,” says
Dr. Caesar DeLeo, vice president and executive medical director
of strategic initiatives for Highmark. “We remain committed to
helping the members and communities we serve at all stages—
from fighting stigma to preventing dependence to accessing
treatment and promoting long-term recovery that allows in-
dividuals to return to their family lives and the workforce.”
Capito and Manchin Announce Funding
to Prevent Youth Suicide
U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin, both
members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, recently
announced a grant totaling $736,000 to support the West
Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources (DHHR)
and its youth suicide prevention program. Funding will be pro-
vided by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
“Suicide is a serious issue for any state, especially among our
youth,” says Capito. “When young West Virginians turn to self-
harm, a significant void is left from the years of potential life
lost. As suicide rates trend upward, it is essential that we take
the necessary steps to provide resources for our young people
when they need it the most. The work of the West Virginia
DHHR and the West Virginia Youth Suicide Prevention and
Early Intervention Grant Program is crucial to this mission.”
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