There are a number of reminders important for us to consider for the month of October.  First of all, it is Global Diversity Awareness Month and here is a short list: 

• Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Please visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation at https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/ for more information. 
• It is the National Italian American Heritage Month.  There are 26 million Italian Americans in the US and this ethnic group is the 7^th largest ethnic group in the US. 
• October 6^th is German American Heritage Day, which was started in 1983 by President Reagan.   
• October 6^th is also Fannie Lou Hamer’s birthday.  Ms. Hamer was instrumental in voting rights activism and ran for Congress in 1964.  
• October 29^th is also Mawlid, which is an Islamic holiday that celebrates the birth of the Prophet Muhammad.  It was declared an official holiday by the Ottomans in 1588.  

It is also National Disability Employment Awareness Month.  This dates back to 1945 when Congress set aside a week in October naming it “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.”  It has since been renamed to consider all disabilities and expanded to a month.  This year’s theme is “Increasing Access and Opportunity” and it is the 75^th anniversary of this celebration.  It also coincides with the Department of Labor’s 30^th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  50 million + individuals with disabilities make this the third largest market segment in the US.   

The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion sponsored by Cornell University has suggested that one of the best ways for a company to tap into this market share is to be certain that there is inclusion in the workforce.   

Building a disability inclusive organization starts with: 

• Developing outreach and recruitment 
• Hire and keep the best talent through excellent acquisition and retention 
• Make reasonable accommodations to ensure productivity 
• Communicate internally and externally inclusion policies and practices 
• Be certain your organization has up to date communication technology 
• Measure your success through accountability and self-identification 
• Developing an inclusive business culture on a continuous basis 

  Thanks to Scott Cullen-Benson for this message!

NIEAPA Resource Directory 

The Resource Directory is a central source of services that fall under the EAP umbrella and is a great tool for all.  We encourage you to use and share with your colleagues.

Behavioral Health Program Information

Please use the above link if you are looking for up to date information on treatment centers' recent changes, additions or reduction of services. The link also provides contact information for each center's outreach professional. 

This list has been provided by the Chicagoland Professional Liaison Association, which is an organization for outreach professionals in the behavioral health field working in the Greater Chicagoland area. We thank the group for sharing this information with their NIEAPA colleagues.

NIEAPA's 2020 ANNUAL CONFERENCE HAS BEEN CANCELLED

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and much deliberation, it is with great sadness that to inform you that we've cancelled this year's conference.  We are working diligently on creating and sharing additional programming for our stakeholders to earn CEU's and network with each other. Please contact Kim Branch or Tricia Fusilero if you have any questions, need additional information or want to be added to our email list. NIEAPA@corpevent.com