At last year’s LIUNA Leadership conference, the LHSFNA’s Executive Director, Lisa M. Sabitoni, announced the launch of LEAN LIUNA. The program, which stands for Laborers Escaping Adversity Now, aims to help LIUNA members and their dependents facing substance abuse issues, mental health struggles, financial hardship or other challenges that impact their well-being.
LEAN LIUNA programs use the power of peer support to make member-to-member connections built on trust and shared experience. Research shows that peer support provides a sense of belonging, reduces the stigma around asking for help and leads to improved mental health outcomes.
“The LHSFNA will guide every LIUNA Region and its affiliates in launching LEAN LIUNA programs and incorporating peer support into existing LIUNA benefit structures,” said Sabitoni. “Our goal is for every member across LIUNA to have access to peer support when they need it.”
As part of that goal, the Fund has formed the LEAN LIUNA Advisory Committee, which includes a representative from each of LIUNA’s nine Regions. These representatives work closely with LHSFNA staff and Regional leadership to plan and launch LEAN LIUNA programs in their Regions.
There are many ways to provide peer support to LIUNA members and their dependents. LEAN LIUNA programs are divided into four levels:
The four levels build on one another, allowing peer support programming to grow over time. The Fund’s new LEAN LIUNA Guidebook provides more detail on each of these levels and the steps needed to implement them.
Ultimately, the goal is for LEAN LIUNA programs to help members:
“Being a part of LIUNA means being part of a family that supports you, no matter what you’re going through,” said LIUNA General Secretary-Treasurer and LHSFNA Labor Trustee Michael F. Sabitoni. “Through the support of LIUNA’s District Councils, Local Unions, health and welfare funds, signatory contractors and other affiliates, we will connect members with lifesaving resources and show that LIUNA truly is a family that looks out for its own.”
To learn more, log in to the Fund’s website and visit our LEAN LIUNA page. You’ll find videos and additional resources, including the Fund’s LEAN LIUNA Guidebook. You can also join our LEAN LIUNA email list to stay up to date as LEAN LIUNA expands across the organization.
Have specific questions or want to get involved? Contact Jamie Becker, the LHSFNA’s Director of Health Promotion.
[Nick Fox]
