Oregon Total Worker Health® Alliance
Expanding the application and knowledge of Total Worker Health® principles in the state of Oregon.
Total Worker Health® (TWH) is an organizational approach that prioritizes safety at the workplace, safe and healthy design of work, and positive work experiences as a way to achieve worker well-being. This approach requires capacity building that is coherent, evidence-informed, and efficient.
Founded in 2017, the Oregon Total Worker Health Alliance is a state-wide partnership between the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon OSHA, and SAIF Corporation. By leveraging the strengths of each organization, the Alliance aims to bring excellence in the application of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) TWH approach. In doing so, the Alliance creates opportunities for building capacity to prevent injuries, illness, and disabilities, and to promote healthier workplaces in the state of Oregon and beyond.
Alliance activities
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Developing expert-informed information and resources with a focus on recognizing and preventing industry-specific workplace hazards
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Convening and participating in conferences, forums, roundtable discussions, and stakeholder meetings to forge innovative TWH solutions in Oregon
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Promoting and encouraging participation in Oregon OSHA’s cooperative programs, including the construction program, the Safety and Health Achievement program, and the Voluntary Protection program
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Developing the Alliance curriculum to enable the delivery of consistent and reproducible courses containing evidence-informed content based on the “Fundamentals of Total Worker Health Approaches: Essential elements for advancing worker safety, health, and well-being”
Oregon Total Worker Health curriculum
The Alliance curriculum is designed for occupational health, safety, worker compensation, wellness, and human resource practitioners and professionals. These entry-level courses and workshops are offered free of charge, either online (instructor-led) or in person.
Participants will gain a basic understanding of the TWH approach and competency in implementing its concepts within organizations.
Priority registration for courses presented by the Alliance is reserved for Oregon workers. If you are interested in hosting or attending a course, contact the Institute’s Senior Manager for Education and Partnerships, Katia Costa-Black.
See the events calendar below for course schedules and to register to attend. Download the TWH Alliance Curriculum flyer for an overview of course offerings.
Course offerings
This is the introductory course for the TWH curriculum. The objectives of this half-day course are to:
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Define terms and concepts essential to TWH
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Identify the five defining elements of TWH
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Discuss how organizations can effectively implement TWH
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Develop “next steps” applicable to participant’s organization
Three-hours, in-person or online virtual course
This interactive workshop provides an interactive introduction to the TWH approach to occupational health, safety, wellness, and human resource professionals. This shorter “teaser” session may precede “TWH 101: The Basics.”
45-60 minutes, in-person or online course
This course can be combined with “TWH 101: The Basics” for a full-day learning experience. The aim of this course is to help participants examine effective and feasible practices and TWH solutions. Course learning objectives include:
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Identifying available, evidence informed TWH solutions and tools
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Describing strategies for successfully implementing the TWH approach in workplaces
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Developing “next steps” related to these solutions, as applicable to participant’s organization
Three-hours, in-person or online course
This in-person training covers the basic principles of TWH and how this comprehensive approach can be utilized by safety committees to broaden participants’ understanding of different hazards, including psychosocial and organizational hazards.
60-90 minutes, in-person workshop
This course is for individuals who have completed “TWH 101: The Basics.” Participants will receive the training needed to provide TWH instruction at their organizations.
Eight-hours, online course (one session of two hours per week)
One-hour networking events open to graduates of any Alliance courses. Objectives include building community and sharing resources, events, and networking opportunities. Participants are encouraged to provide feedback on the TWH curriculum and share any implementation challenges and/or organizational successes they have observed.
One-hour, online meeting
Upcoming courses and other events
For requests related to the Total Worker Health Alliance curriculum, contact:
Katia Costa-Black, Ph.D.
Senior Manager for Education and Partnerships
Email: costabla@ohsu.edu
Learn more about our work
Newsletter
Explore professional development opportunities, the latest updates from the Institute, Oregon Healthy Workforce Center and Occupational Public Health Program, a research snapshot, and upcoming occupational health-focused events.
Blog
The Oregon and the Workplace Blog features the latest OccHealthSci research, professional development opportunities, and valuable insights from disciplines associated with occupational health, safety, and well-being.
Podcast
The What's Work Got to Do with It podcast, produced by OccHealthSci, brings together occupational health, safety, and well-being experts to discuss the latest topics relating to worker health, well-being, and safety in Oregon and beyond.