What it means to build a Recovery Ready Workplace (w/ Cheryl Brown Merriwether)

Written By DeAnn Knighton

Cheryl Brown Merriwether, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CPRC, CRSS, CM

CoFounder, Vice President, Executive Director, International Center for Addiction & Recovery Education™(ICARE)

  • Cheryl shares her personal story of growing up as an adult child of an alcoholic, facing challenges in her family of origin, and confronting her issues with codependency. 

Prevention 

  • Behavioral health merging brings positive change while also creating an additional burden on an already overwhelmed system. 

  • Prevention programs focus on education and awareness, changing workplace cultures to make resources available and safe for employees to seek help.  

  • Cheryl discusses companies making moves toward prevention, including Oracle, Salesforce, and Wayfair. 

  • Biden Harris Admin releases a recovery-ready workplace toolkit and partners with state coalitions.

Opioid epidemic and employer responsibility to support workforce.

  • Employers can play a crucial role in addressing the opioid epidemic by providing education and training to their workforce.

  • Education and training can alleviate liability and risk management concerns for naloxone use.

Cheryl Brown Merriwether  brings over two decades of experience in corporate HR management at AT&T, addiction recovery awareness, and adult education to the International Center for Addiction and Recovery Education (ICARE). As VP and Executive Director, she oversees and directs the administration, operations, and student support services for ICARE’s three divisions, Strategic Sobriety Workforce Solutions™, International Association of Professional Recovery Coaches (IAPRC) and NET Institute. Additionally, Cheryl is the Immediate Past President of GOSHRM, an active Board Member of Project Opioid, and a former adjunct faculty member at the University of Phoenix. 

 In February 2023, Cheryl was awarded BambooHR’s inaugural HR Experience Maker Award in the Heart & Soul category.  SUCCESS Magazine named Cheryl a 2022 Women of Influence award winner for her pioneering work in addiction and recovery.  She graduated from the Rally Social Enterprise Accelerator 2022 Winter program, which provides mentorship, 1:1 coaching, and resources to social entrepreneurs seeking positive social change.

Links:
https://icare-aware.org/
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/RRW-hub/Toolkit

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DeAnn Knighton
Next

From self-betrayal to honest parenting and vulnerable leadership (w/ Steve Knapp of Through the Glass Recovery)