National Recovery Month

We spend a lot of our time on prevention and education of those suffering from substance misuse. And in September, we focus on recovery. Celebrating those who have worked so hard to achieve sobriety and even harder to maintain it, should be an everyday thing. You can support your community by learning ways to engage in healthy activities to support those in recovery at every step of the journey. 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) delivers four weeks of messages for communities and families to support Recovery Month. SAMHSA works off the four pillars of Recovery, Health, Home, Purpose and Community. 

Week 1 (Sep 1–7): Health  

Key Message: We can strive to be healthier and achieve our wellness goals.

This week we highlight aspects of well-being and their importance to recovery.

• We can overcome challenges related to mental health and substance use conditions.
• It is OK to reach out for help with substance use and mental health conditions.
• Making informed healthy choices can support our well-being.
• It's OK and important to reach out for help, especially if addiction or mental health conditions are affecting our relationships, work, or day-to-day life.Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for (audience)? Why should they care (benefit)? What do I want them to do (call-to-action)?

Create a great offer by adding words like "free," "personalized," "complimentary," or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take action, so consider inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"

We can all do our part

If you have a loved one struggling with a substance use disorder, or even if you don't, we can all do our part to support recovery.

It can start with something as seemingly small as the choice of words you use when talking with or about someone in their recovery journey.

The importance of a strong DER and C/TPA relationship

Employers should know that a critical component of any successful workplace drug and alcohol testing program, that protects the safety of your workforce and the public, is the relationship between the Designated Employer Representative (DER) and the Consortium/Third Party Administrator (C/TPA).

When a DER and a C/TPA (like TSS, Inc.) have a positive working relationship, where both are knowledgeable about their roles, easily accessible to one another and communicate well with one another, chances are that your drug and alcohol testing program will run smoothly. That means those who need to be tested are tested when they should be, documentation is in order, and the reporting process happens as it should. The DER and the C/TPA are there to ensure compliance with the regulations that apply to your industry, local and state laws and your company policy.

Are you prepared for the unexpected?

Fires to the west, hurricanes to the east, tornados – even freak snowstorms. Late summer, early fall marks a period when many parts of the United States see an increase in natural disasters and extreme weather events. So, it’s only fitting that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has named September National Preparedness Month.

According to the National Safety Council, “Over the last five years, weather-related deaths are up 20% from 2019 and injuries have increased 120%, while the number of weather events have increased 11%. In 2023, 75,104 weather events resulted in 877 deaths and 3,857 injuries. Heat, wildfires, and tornadoes were responsible for the most deaths during 2023.”

Are you ready for the unexpected? Can you keep your workplace and home safe?

Harvest Safety Tips

Fall is here and it’s harvest time for America’s farmers. Those who do not live and work in rural areas may imagine farming to be a physically demanding, but relatively safe occupation. In fact, agriculture is one of the most hazardous jobs you can have. Statistically, farming is two times as deadly as serving in law enforcement, and five times more deadly than serving as a firefighter.

Out of the more than 4 million people who work in farming either full or part-time, approximately 100 agricultural workers are injured daily. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), estimates a fatality rate of 20.4 deaths per 100,000 farm workers annually.

The most common causes of farming accidents and injuries include overturning tractors and accidents with agricultural machinery, falls, exposure to toxic chemicals and pesticides, suffocation (in grain silos and bins) and animal-related incidents.

During the harvest, there is a lot to achieve in a short time so advanced preparation goes a long way to avoiding accidents and mitigating hazards.

Meet the Collector

My name is Kiana Allen! In addition to my work at TSS-Juneau, I am a college student at the University of Alaska Southeast. When not working or studying, I am an adventurer, dog mom, hiker, gardener, and artist. As you can see, I like to do a little bit of everything. I’m very outgoing and a conversationalist. I love to talk about hikes and trails, I also love talking about my job. I was born and raised in Alaska. So don’t be surprised if you see me jumping in puddles in flip-flops!

I’ve been working in the Juneau office for about a year as a specimen collection technician. I also help around the office with data entry and am constantly working to build my skills. I love my coworkers at TSS. We’re a good team and everyone is always available to answer any questions I might have. It’s a great community and the TSS team is starting to feel like a second family.

Coaching Corner: Consider the possibilites

By Renee Schofield, NO SPEED LIMIT

As a certified health and wellness coach, I am always gathering resources to help people live their best lives.

As a health and wellness coach, I stay open to possibility. Often the client comes to me with a specific, large goal in mind and they are tied to that particular result. I like to challenge them a bit to relax that stranglehold on the result and think about a larger picture. It is not always necessary, but I do find that what they think is their big goal, is really just a comfortable spot to land. I operate from a place of “If it doesn’t scare you, it isn’t big enough.” We can all do easy. We can all stay inside the lines and get things done if we work the plan. But what if the plan could be larger, more beautiful, and if it could achieve more for yourself and others? Just what if you could do more? I love coaching and helping folks WIN, and WIN BIG.

I have done the work with my own coach and felt the push and pull of my own fears, and then the freedom of releasing that fear and seeing the possibilities. You can too. It happens between the "I am sure I cannot" and the little tiny voice inside of you that says, "Could I maybe?" That is where your power lies.