Center for Health, Work and Environment

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The purpose of the Center for Health, Work & Environment (CHWE) Center of Excellence in Total Worker Health (TWH) is to advance the overall safety, health, and well-being of workers in Federal Health Region 8 and the nation, through transdisciplinary research, effective interventions, outreach and communications, education/training, and rigorous evaluation that inform improvements in all of the above. CHWE addresses the need for research on Total Worker Health intervention strategies, focusing on the large number of workers and workplaces at highest risk of occupational fatality, injury, and illness. Specifically, CHWE research will build on the team’s experience in creating innovative TWH interventions and practical outreach tools for small businesses, the education industry, and other high-risk sectors such as agriculture. These groups employ a large number of contingent, seasonal, underemployed, low wage, minority, and rural workers. There is an opportunity to address serious gaps in transdisciplinary research that is needed to impact the well-being of these populations. In addition, CHWE will apply and test both existing and new theoretical frameworks to improve generalizability and efficacy of Total Worker Health interventions and dissemination strategies. CHWE has six goals: 1. Provide leadership and expertise in research and practice to integrate the protection from work-related safety and health hazards with the promotion of injury and illness prevention efforts to advance worker well-being. (Leadership/Expertise) 2. Extend the research evidence base regarding the integration of protection and promotion of worker-related safety, health, and well-being. (Research) 3. Increase awareness, adoption, and implementation of Total Worker Health best practices, programs, and policies across the region through communication and dissemination, education, and implementation that is evidence-based, accessible, feasible, effective, and culturally appropriate. (Practice/Outreach) 4. Advance the adoption of policies that improve work-related safety, health, and well-being at local, state, and federal levels. (Policy) 5. Build Total Worker Health workforce capacity in public and private sectors, in academia, and in practice through education and strategic partnerships. (Capacity) 6. Improve Center impact through a rigorous evaluation program. (Evaluation) Through our Research and Outreach Cores, CHWE will work across sectors, with a particular focus on the agricultural sector, the service sector (education), and small businesses across all sectors. Each Core and project reflects our commitment to addressing the Healthy People 2030 goals related to OSH, which are primarily addressed through the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). In particular, the NORA Healthy Work Design and Well-Being (HWD) cross-sector is relevant to our TWH Center of Excellence goals and objectives.