WFD Overview

The OD2A-C3 Workforce Development (WFD) program is a professional development experience for UH Manoa undergraduate or graduate students in ​Social Work​, ​Public Health​, Health and Human Services or a related field. This summer paid internship is aimed to address the overdose prevention needs of Hawaiʻi by increasing awareness, knowledge, and skills in substance use and mental health prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery. The key goal for the WFD program is to prepare students to work with populations struggling with substance use and mental health-related issues by providing them with a variety of tailored educational training as well as exposing students to hands-on experience collaborating with community agencies.

The WFD Fellows work in groups to produce products and materials for community agencies who work on opioid and other drug abuse and overdose prevention. The groups are assigned to pre-approved community agencies to work on projects that will enhance client service delivery, networking abilities, or benefit program function.