HITEC Healthy Workplace Participatory Program Connecticut Department of Correction
FOR STAFF BY STAFF
WHAT IS HITEC?
Motivated to improve the national longevity statistics for correction workers, The Health Improvement Through Employee Control (HITEC) program is dedicated to the health, safety, and well-being of correctional staff. Front-line workers identify their workplace concerns, design solutions, and implement them for the benefit of their peers.
IDEAS TOOL
With the goal to advance Total Worker Health® in corrections, the HITEC Healthy Workplace Participatory Program centers on the use of a seven step process to health, safety and well-being problem solving called the IDEAS Tool (The Intervention Design and Analysis Scorecard). Shaped like a wheel, the image is a guide to implement an intervention.
SINCE 2006
Since 2006, the Connecticut Department of Correction, along with bargaining units and the University of Connecticut, have collaborated on the research and development of HITEC. Officers and employees at all levels of the agency invest their time and effort into applying a bottom-up approach to address work-life issues and improve workers' health.
A NATIONAL MODEL FOR HEALTH
The US Surgeon General’s framework for “Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being” published in the Fall of 2022, reports that the workplace can be the engines to the mental health of workers. The CPH-NEW Healthy Workplace Participatory Program (HWPP) was cited in this report. HITEC HWPP is the Connecticut Department of Correction customized version of the CPH-NEW HWPP, developed by UConn and UMass Lowell and was funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).