Mental Health in the Spotlight as Three Employers Receive New Award for Exemplary Efforts to Support Workforce Wellbeing

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHBSPH) and The Luv u Project announced today the inaugural winners of the Carolyn C. Mattingly Award for Mental Health in the Workplace (Mattingly Workplace Award). Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Metro Nashville Public Schools and the University of Virginia were recognized with the 2022 Mattingly Workplace Award for their comprehensive efforts to advance workforce mental health and psychological wellbeing.

In addition to providing high-quality mental health benefits and resources, the Award recipients implemented an array of best and promising practices that span organizational culture, workplace policies, the work environment, leadership support, documented outcomes, and innovative approaches.

"We know that workplace mental health efforts are most effective when they follow evidence-based practices and are embedded within a culture of health and wellbeing. We established the Mattingly Award to recognize and celebrate exemplary organizations that recognize the importance of their human capital," said Ron Goetzel, PhD, Senior Scientist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who oversees the Award program.

The 2022 Carolyn C. Mattingly Mental Health in the Workplace Award winners were:

Akin Gump's holistic Be Well program includes onsite mental health advisors, an enhanced Employee Assistance Program available to all employees and family members, and a variety of education and training resources focused on mental health and wellbeing. The program has realized a 144 percent increase in total engagement since 2019.

Metro Nashville Public Schools has bolstered its multifaceted approach to employee wellbeing, which includes in-person, telephonic, virtual, and app-based resources, by removing barriers to care so that all employees and family members can access mental health benefits with no co-pays. In a 2022 employee survey, nearly 9 in 10 participants agreed that the available mental health benefits were helpful to them and their families.

The University of Virginia's Hoos Well program promotes positive mental health with both individual- and organizational efforts that include policies to support flexible work schedules, expanded access to mental health treatments, and a variety of self-care resources. Participants in a mental skills training initiative experienced a 16 percent decrease in burnout, a 15 percent increase in wellbeing, and a 7 percent increase in feeling part of a community at work.

In addition to the 2022 Award winners, Associated Bank, Franklin County Cooperative and General Electric received Honorable Mention recognition. The Awards will be presented at The Luv u Project's annual event entitled "An Evening of Luv" on Wednesday, November 16^th, 2022, at the Bethesda Country Club in Bethesda, MD.

"We are proud to recognize these extraordinary employers who are actively elevating both the standards and reality of better workplace mental health. Congratulations to each of them and many thanks to our dedicated  Award Advisory Committee for the staeadfast commitment to building this vital initiative," said C. Richard Mattingly, The Luv Project Founder and President.

The Carolyn C. Mattingly Award was established by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and The Luv u Project in 2022. The Award is housed at the NIOSH-funded Johns Hopkins P.O.E. Total Worker Health® Center in Mental Health. The Award recognizes and celebrates exemplary organizations that advance the mental health and wellbeing of their workers, thus serving as role models for other employers.

More information about the Carolyn C. Mattingly Award for Mental Health in the Workplace is available here.

SOURCE The Luv u Project, In Memory of Carolyn C. Mattingly