Addiction Professionals of North Carolina Receives Prestigious Gold Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health

RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On World Mental Health Day, Addiction Professionals of North Carolina (APNC) is proud to announce that it has been awarded the Gold Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health by Mental Health America (MHA). This national recognition underscores APNC's longstanding commitment to cultivating a workplace environment that supports mental wellness, reduces stigma, and empowers employees to thrive.

What Is the Bell Seal?

The Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health is a national certification program from Mental Health America that recognizes employers demonstrating excellence in supporting employees' mental wellness. The program evaluates organizations across four key domains:

• Workplace Culture (how norms, leadership, and inclusion support mental health)
• Benefits (adequate access to mental health care and related services)
• Compliance (policies, accommodations, and legal protections)
• Wellness (prevention, training, and supportive initiatives)

Only two out of every five organizations that apply ultimately earn a Bell Seal. By achieving the Gold level, APNC has distinguished itself as a leader in workplace mental health practices and a model for others in the behavioral health space.

Why Supporting Employee Mental Health Matters

"In this field, we know firsthand that supporting mental health isn't just a benefit — it's foundational to our mission," says Sara Howe, CEO of APNC. "When staff feel safe, supported, and valued, they bring their full selves to their work. As we've worked to prioritize recovery-friendly workplaces in North Carolina, we wanted to ensure that we model for our members and communities what it looks like to fully support employees' mental health."

By integrating evidence-based mental health practices into its systems, APNC reinforces internally what it advocates externally: that behavioral health and recovery must be central to every organization's culture and policies.

In addition to the Bell Seal recognition, APNC is proud to be designated as a Recovery Friendly Workplace under the state's Recovery Friendly NC initiative. As a Recovery Friendly Workplace, APNC has committed to reducing stigma and supporting employees with lived experience or ongoing recovery journeys. This dual alignment — national and local designations — sends a strong message: the policies we enact internally mirror our broader advocacy goals.

What This Means & What Comes Next

Receiving the Gold Bell Seal is not a finishing line. APNC will continue refining, monitoring, and expanding mental health supports for its staff. Externally, APNC will use this achievement as a public demonstration of best practices and as inspiration for other organizations across North Carolina and beyond.

We encourage other employers, nonprofits, substance use and mental health providers, and advocacy organizations to assess their own workplace policies—on mental health, recovery, accommodations, stigma reduction—and consider applying for a Bell Seal themselves. By expanding recognition of welnnes in the workplace, communities and workplaces everywhere can become healthier, more inclusive, and more sustainable.

About APNC:

Addiction Professionals of North Carolina (APNC) is the professional trade association for substance use professionals and providers in North Carolina. APNC provides a collective voice for individuals, providers, and the communities they serve, advocating for effective policies, offering technical assistance, and fostering collaboration across the industry. APNC supports the behavioral health frontline workforce through education, advocacy, and innovative programs aimed at improving the health and wellness of North Carolina residents. For more information, visit: apnc.org

Contact for Media Inquiries:
Morgan Coyner
Executive Vice President, Addiction Professionals of North Carolina
[email protected]

SOURCE Addiction Professionals of North Carolina