October 31, 2016

HRSW 2016
BUILDING A CULTURE OF WELLNESS.
ONE DAY AT A TIME.

October was a very busy month for Organizational Wellness and Learning Systems (OWLS). We think you'll have interest in a variety of the on-goings of late. 

First, congratulations to our Director of Research, Dr. Gale Lucas, for winning "best presentation" at the Motion in Games Conference held in San Francisco this month. Dr. Lucas wrote a blog about her work with personalizing avatars. Also, Dr. Brittany Linde wrote about the importance of 'savoring' in daily life.  Both of these posts reflect on OWLS mission to understand the importance of human experience and social connection in wellness and learning. 

Second, we have been getting out a lot more. We did a certification prevention training for three counties in Indiana ( see Champions in the Real World). We exhibited at the HR Southwest Conference in Fort Worth and Dr. Bennett gave two talks to HR professionals ( see Community Presence). Dr. Bennett also moderated a well-attended talk about the "Future of Behavioral Health Services" given by the distinguished Dr. Casey Chosewood from the CDC.

Finally, we published "Preventing Worker Prescription Drug Misuse: Time for a New Integrated Approach" authored by Joel Bennett, Gale Lucas, and Michael Neeper.
Blogs
OWLS OCTOBER BLOGS.
Savoring

"What is on your 'savoring list' for the weekend? What do you hear when you hear the word '"savoring"'? Maybe you relate it to food or drinks, such as savoring a tasty morsel or a fine glass of red wine. But what else can be savored? How can you incorporate savoring into your daily lifestyle?" (read more here).
                                              

Personalized Avatars

"Should everyone in your organization have their own avatar for training simulations?
Organizations are increasingly using online or virtual training for various purposes - from compliance  or ethics trainings to leadership training. As the technology used to provide these trainings advances, more of these training applications employ scenarios or simulated situations in which users can practice the principles that they learned. These simulations often depict the user though an avatar - an in-simulation representation of the user..." ( read more here).

                                              
real_world
CHAMPIONS IN THE REAL WORLD.
Indiana Champion Training

Through a state grant, three counties in Indiana (Lake, Morgan, and Madison) coordinated efforts to receive training in both Raw Coping Power and Health Consciousness from Dr. Bennett. The training was coordinated and held in the offices of Geminus Corporation in Merrillville. Participating agencies were Workforce Development Services (Gary), Intersect (Anderson), and  Morgan County Substance Abuse Council (MCSAC), Inc. (Martinsville). If your agency is interested in training, please let us know.
HRSW
Community Presence.
HR Southwest Conference Exhibition 

We had a great time at one of the largest Human Resource conferences in the country (HRSW), meeting over 200 people who came to our booth. Dr. Bennett also gave two presentations: " Bad Apples, Good Citizens, and HR:  Behavioral Risk Management=Wellness" and "Employee Prescription Drug Abuse: Tips, Prevention Guidelines & Education." To receive PowerPoint copies of these presentations, contact us here .
 

Talk
FUTURE OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
Presentation by Dr. Casey Chosewood

"Work conditions influence employee health and well-being, including mental health. Work conditions determine risk for injury, illness and disability. Work decides our wages, which are often strong predictors of health. Work conditions determine our risks for and control over exposures to environmental toxins, chemical, biological and other hazards. This presentation explores the interface between SAFETY, WELLNESS, and MENTAL HEALTH with an eye to the future of work and the role of Employee Assistance Providers...." (watch presentation here).
Paper
NEW PROPOSED MODEL
Wellness & Preventing Prescription Misuse

"Innovative approaches are needed to combat the risks of adult prescription drug misuse and abuse. Most employees are aware of the double-edged sword of prescription technologies. The offer of relief, disease management, enhanced performance, and improved mood are intertwined with a myriad of damaging side-effects as well as the potential for misuse, poisoning, and dependence..." (read more here).

OWLS
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