Kellanova recognizes Mental Health Awareness Month with Learning Resource

CHICAGO, May 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, Kellanova continues to provide education and resources to support employees' mental health, including Made Academy. Nader Salah, Vice President, Global Total Rewards, interviewed Aaron Harvey, co-founder and executive director of Made of Millions Foundation, to discuss the importance of mental health awareness in the workplace in a new blog post.

Kellanova News Story: Kellanova's Mental Health Learning Resource for Employees
By Nader Salah, Vice President, Global Total Rewards

As we recognize Mental Health Awareness Month each May, it enables Kellanova to underscore our priority commitment to employees' wellbeing by providing education and resources to support mental health. It also demonstrates our solidarity with those struggling and our advocacy for policies and initiatives that spotlight mental health care and support.

Earlier this year, Kellanova added to its mental health toolkit by introducing Made Academy 2.0, an addition to the e-learning resource we began using in 2023. Offering this mental health training program provides employees with the ability to recognize signs of distress, provide appropriate support, and access resources when needed.

As Vice President of Global Total Rewards, I recently talked with Aaron Harvey, co-founder and executive director of Made of Millions Foundation, the global mental health advocacy nonprofit that developed the Made Academy curriculum.  

NS: Why did you establish your foundation and the Made Academy curriculum?

AH: I helped create the foundation after spending more than two decades suffering in silence with an undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder. Once I realized it, my mandate became to champion and generate access to mental health education and resources in the workplace through offerings like Made Academy. 

NS: How does Made Academy 2.0 differ from the original?

AH: Our initial offering is a self-paced e-learning program that offers easy-to-understand content about different mental health conditions and treatment options as well as perspectives and experiences from experts and advocates. Version 2.0 is an add-on that looks at mental health through many perspectives and intersections. It delivers bite-sized, digestible information, including first-person storytelling, workplace/environmental triggers of mental health struggles, and measures for individuals and organizations to consider in mitigating them.

NS: What is an impact that highlights the difference such mental health learnings make?

AH: For me, it surfaces in the private conversations that follow when those who have experienced the fear and stigma associated with mental illness open up about their personal situation. They suddenly feel seen. I know what that's like – and it's always the most important outcome.    

NS: Why is it important to partner with companies like Kellanova?

AH: It's very simple. We don't get mental health information in school, so the workplace becomes the conduit to reach a captive audience. These partnerships provide the opportunity to move mental health awareness to employees so they can gain essential information and insights to navigate their own mental health needs and to help family, friends and others who may be struggling. We're already reaching over 100,000 employees.

NS: Why is National Mental Health Awareness Month important to recognize?

AH: This month is a centering moment for companies and organizations to weigh in and reinforce that employees' mental health is a priority. Nearly 53 million Americans are estimated to be living with some form of mental illness; roughly half of them aren't being treated. This awareness month prompts important conversations about mental health disorders that can lead to self-diagnosis and self-identification that might otherwise never occur within demanding workplaces.

For more information, visit Kellanova's Total Health website at https://www.kellanovatotalhealth.com/public/welcome.

About Kellanova Kellanova (NYSE: K) is a leader in global snacking, international cereal and noodles, and North America frozen foods with a legacy stretching back more than 100 years. Powered by differentiated brands including Pringles®, Cheez-It®, Pop-Tarts®, Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats®, RXBAR®, Eggo®, MorningStar Farms®, Special K®, Coco Pops®, and more, Kellanova's vision is to become the world's best-performing snacks-led powerhouse, unleashing the full potential of our differentiated brands and our passionate people. Our net sales for 2023 were $13 billion. 

At Kellanova, our purpose is to create better days and ensure everyone has a seat at the table through our trusted food brands. We are committed to promoting sustainable and equitable food access by tackling the crossroads of hunger, sustainability, wellbeing, and equity, diversity & inclusion. Our goal is to create Better Days for 4 billion people by the end of 2030 (from a 2015 baseline). For more detailed information about our commitments, our approach to achieving these goals, and methodology, please visit our website at https://www.kellanova.com.

SOURCE Kellanova