CEO pledge to end addiction

About the pledge

The scale and urgency of the addiction epidemic are alarming. Drug overdose is currently the leading cause of unintentional death in our country and millions more suffer from non-fatal substance misuse. Our collective focus on efforts to address addiction, as well as overall mental health, is critical to saving lives and to helping improve the overall well-being of our communities. This is especially true during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the CDC, anxiety and depression have quadrupled during the pandemic, and there has been a marked increase in new or increased substance misuse due to coronavirus-related stress.

Ending this crisis will require our nation’s leaders to take action. Employers can mobilize resources and respond quickly to initiate effective response efforts through collaboration, employee education, volunteerism and non-profit partnerships. Together, we can harness American brain power, entrepreneurship and innovation to present new interventions and solutions.

Our Leidos CEO Pledge Collaborative, including c-suite executives and senior leaders across all sectors, will prioritize addiction prevention and mental health while accelerating the pledge work already in motion. This project will elevate and sustain the importance of mental health and the critical role employers hold. Our objective is to engage existing organizations and recruit more leaders to work together to identify tangible actions across sectors that deepen an employer’s response.

Leidos is collaborating with the Milken Institute Center for Public Health (CPH) to help accelerate our pledge efforts. The collaboration between Leidos and the Milken Institute grew from both organizations’ desire to advance the steps already being taken by employers across industries and sectors to address the mental health crisis and provide better access to resources and support for millions of employees.

Will you join us? 

What happens after I pledge?

You'll join a community of advocates committed to improving overall mental wellbeing in the workplace and beyond. You can expect to receive regular communications and recommendations on proven and best practices. Whether you're just getting started in your commitment or you've already taken steps to address these challenges, the more you know, the better equipped you'll be to make an impact where it matters most. These resources will empower your organization to make evolutionary changes that benefit and support your employees and the communities where they live and work.

Together, we have the power to influence and change policies and programs to help drive prevention efforts and address addiction and mental health challenges more broadly. While our collaboration begins with our own organizations’ approaches to employee wellness, it also extends to those we serve in our communities every day.

Increase your influence

To take your commitment even further, we invite you to opt-in to join our Leidos CEO Pledge Collaborative - Action Group. The Action Group will meet to focus on specific, time-measured goals to scale our efforts and take the progress we've already made across sectors to the next level no matter the starting point – the purpose is to share insight, elevate ideas and scale actions to reach more employees and communities.

Sign the Pledge

The addiction and the mental health crises are my problems to help solve. By completing the following form, I pledge that my organization will do what it can to take action.

1. I pledge to help create a workplace where it is safe to have uncomfortable and often difficult conversations about addiction and mental health.
2. I pledge to help educate my employees about the dangers of substance misuse and dispel the myths and stigma surrounding addiction and mental health, and also to support employees and family members' access to high quality prevention, treatment and/or recovery services.
3. I pledge, to the best of my ability, to support organizations dedicated to building stronger minds, drug-free communities and improving access to high quality prevention, treatment and recovery services.

By signing this pledge, you agree to receive email communications on behalf of Leidos tailored to help combat addiction and address mental health. You can update email preferences at any time.

Share your story

As part of the Leidos CEO Pledge Collaborative Action Group effort, we’d like to highlight and share proven and best practice examples from our members across industries and sectors.

Submit your success story