Alabama businesses across the state can now take advantage of free training to help supervisors identify and respond to mental health and substance abuse issues in the workforce. The 8-hour training session is provided by the University of Alabama’s VitAL partnership, which uses education and training to improve the health of Alabama’s workforce, and can be held at the business or delivered virtually through June.
Workforce Impact
Nationally, almost 9% of working adults have a substance use disorder, including 6.7% with an alcohol use disorder and 1.6% with a cannabis use disorder. In addition, thousands of workdays and millions of dollars in productivity are lost in Alabama each year due to mental illness. Secretary Ellen McNair of the Alabama Department of Commerce stated that “a healthy workforce is a productive workforce, and supporting mental health in the workplace is essential for Alabama’s continued economic success.”
Training Focus
The free training program gives businesses the tools to recognize and address mental health and substance abuse challenges, ensuring employees have the support they need to thrive. VitAL’s Wendi Hogue leads the initiative and can be reached at 205-886-5124 or wendi.hogue@ua.edu for scheduling information.
Funding and Support
The training is funded by a U.S. Department of Education grant administered by the Alabama Department of Commerce. VitAL works to help Alabamians with mental health, substance abuse, and trauma-related challenges through education and workforce support initiatives.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.madeinalabama.com/2025/03/alabama-offers-free-mental-health-and-substance-abuse-training-for-employers/