Funding opportunity for worksite wellness
The West Virginia Prevention Research Center's long-standing partner, the WV Division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease, and Active Southern West Virginia are offering to fund efforts to improve worksite wellness within the State of West Virginia through a competitive mini-grant application process.
Please see the application in the link below for more information.
https://wvu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3W1F4EZ5dyTwDGt
This mini-grant funding is funded by the West Virginia Take Back Our Health Initiative.
In order to be elgible for the program, applicants will need to be Work@Health Certified or be willing to receive the training as part of their workplan.
Work@Health®:
The Work@Health® employer-training program is an initiative of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to promote workplace wellness through employer education, training, and technical assistance. The program also partners with trade associations, business coalitions and health departments that support employer workplace health efforts. Training is delivered by professional instructors who undergo a rigorous certification process.
Having a healthier workforce not only benefits individual employees, but also can also result in greater productivity and lower healthcare and workers’ compensation costs for employers.
Work@Health® uses web-based training, and in-person training labs to deliver content. A team of quality instructors, facilitators and subject-matter experts provide ongoing technical assistance and support both to program graduates and new participants.
Work@Health® has been evaluated and shown to improve employer knowledge, readiness, and ability to implement evidence-based interventions.
General Program Overview
1. What is the Work@Health® Program?
Work@Health® is a comprehensive worksite health training program that supports employers of various sizes and industry sectors across the country. Work@Health® also trains worksite wellness professionals and organizations who support employer health efforts such as health departments, business coalitions, and trade associations.
The program will help develop a basic skill set and capacity to build or enhance science-based worksite health programs by training employers with a basic or an intermediate level of knowledge and skill. The program will enroll employers nationwide to participate in a blended (online and in-person components) training.
2. What is the primary focus of the Work@Health® Program?
The Work@Health® Program builds each employer’s knowledge and skill set to implement, grow, and sustain effective worksite health promotion and protection strategies. The ultimate aim of the program is to improve the organizational health of participating employers by increasing their capacity to put in place strategies to reduce chronic disease and injury risk to employees and improve workforce productivity.
3. Who is eligible to participate in the Work@Health® Program?
The Work@Health® Program is open to employers with 20 or more employees, provide health insurance to employees, and be headquartered in the United States. Employers must have been in operation for at least 1 full year prior to attending training. Employers must also complete the CDC Worksite Health Scorecard organizational assessment and have Internet connectivity available to its employees for training participation. Each employer must sign a participation agreement and identify a senior leader to serve as signatory authority acting on its behalf.
4. Is there a cost for employers to apply?
No. The Work@Health ® Program is free. Employers will not be charged to participate.
5. How will the Work@Health® training be delivered?
Training will be delivered in a blended model (online and in-person components) aimed at increasing employers’ knowledge and skills about comprehensive worksite health. The Work@Health® employer curricula is divided into eight modules. The first six modules are delivered online and are self-paced. The last two modules are delivered as part of a one-day in-person workshop with other employer participants.
6. How will employers participating in the Work@Health® program benefit?
Employers participating in the Work@Health® Program will receive a variety of benefits, including—
- A complete health and safety assessment of their organization to define existing needs, interests and the capacity of their worksite to put in place specific health and safety interventions to address those needs.
- Professional training via a blended delivery model to learn how to develop a worksite health intervention plan to meet individual employer needs.
- Technical assistance and community-support resources aimed at giving employers what they need to sustain their worksite health promotion interventions beyond the program
- Careful monitoring of and technical assistance to support participants’ progress in implementing their worksite health interventions by professional worksite health trainers.
- An on‐going opportunity to expand their professional networks by linking to and partnering with other employers and organizations with a focus on health in their community
- A safer and healthier work environment at the end of the program
- Recognition by the CDC as a healthy worksite
Employer Eligibility and Requirements
7. What employers are eligible to participate in the Work@Health® Program?
The Work@Health® Program is open to public and private employers. Priority will be given to small- and mid‐size employers. In order to participate, employers must:
a. Have 20 or more employees
b. Have been in operation for at least one full year
c. Have Internet connectivity to train participants
d. Offer health insurance to employees
e. Have minimal experience in worksite health programs
f. Be a U.S. based, domestic employer
8. How many participants per employer are allowed to attend the training program?
Work@Health® stresses the importance of enhancing employer capacity to build and sustain their workplace health program. This includes maximizing the number of individuals within the organization who have the knowledge and skills to manage wellness programs. For this reason, a minimum of 2 participants per employer can attend the training. Sending multiple individuals who will have a role in the employer-based program builds institutional knowledge and capacity and guards against a loss of institutional memory if organizational or staffing changes are made.
9. What are the program requirements for completing the Work@Health ® program?
To successfully complete and be recognized, participating employers must complete the following requirements:
a. Complete all training modules (online and in-person)
b. Complete the CDC Worksite Health ScoreCard
c. Complete all surveys administered by the Work@Health ® evaluation team
d. Participate in technical assistance activities
10. I’m an employer interested in applying for the Work@Health®, How do I apply?
Employers interested in the Work@Health® program can contact James Vance at james.a.vance@wv.gov.