The opioid crisis is a national headline and is impacting the workplace.  Join the Augusta Metro Chamber and Terry Childers, Community Representative of Bradford Health Services, on Thursday, September 20 to learn more on the impact of the opioid epidemic and best practices for addressing the issue with resources to identify, assist and prevent.

Economists are predicting addiction could potentially contribute to a 20-25% decrease in workforce and absenteeism, and with related declining productivity, availability of labor and overall medical expenses, the SHRM reported the opioid crisis cost the U.S. economy $95 billion in 2016, with all signs of an increase in the past two years.  To address the issue, businesses are implementing strategies to raise awareness of the issue, communicate available resources and provide prevention and treatment options.

Featured presenter Terry Childers has been the Community Representative for Bradford Health Services for over 9 years.  He is passionate about providing hope and recovery to individuals and their families when it comes to addiction to drugs and alcohol.  For 40 years, Bradford Health Services has been dedicated to creating effective and affordable chemical dependency treatment programs.

The September Third Thursday Business Builder will be held at the Augusta Metro Chamber office and begins at 11:30 am with lunch provided.  Attendance is complimentary for Chamber members, $15 for prospective-members.  Advanced registration is required at AugustaMetroChamber.com.  Deadline to register is Monday, September 17.  Due to limited space, please limit to one representative from each company.  For more information, please contact Sabrina Balthrop, Director of Events, at [email protected] or by calling 706.821.1300.