CWL Services

For services to be effective, they must be designed from the perspective of the people using them. Programs and trainings are designed to address specific barriers to using program successfully. Our consultation and training methods are based on listening to people and combining our knowledge with theirs to provide the best possible support and services to workers whether they are in a workplace education program, or a laid-off worker project.

Laid-off Worker Services

Since 1982, the CWL staff has provided mental health and support services through federally funded laid-off worker services and other joint labor-management initiatives. These services have included individual and family counseling, advocacy, and facilitating job clubs that provide information, training and social support to help workers make the transition to new employment or further training. Wherever possible, CWL has used trained Peer Support Specialists as a way of communicating accurate information, providing social support, and connecting workers with needed services. CWL has also provided consultation and staff training to design and implement effective service delivery and case management systems from a worker-centered perspective for agencies..

CWL has also designed worker-centered education program and trained Peer Learning Advocates to support both active and inactive workers in their retraining and education efforts. Particularly where there are literacy and skill issues, Peer Learning Advocates increase student retention and the overall success rate for participants.

The Stress of Change

The work of the Center has also focused on stress in the workplace and the use of social support in minimizing the effects of stress. In our work, with both active and inactive workers, we discovered that one of the biggest stressors in their lives was dealing with change. Whether a worker is dealing with the change of losing a job or with rapid changes in the workplace, dealing with the stress of change is one of the key factors in achieving success. In conjunction with the Oregon Occupational Health and Safety Agency, CWL has developed a manual on the stress of change in the workplace.