While we should avoid putting the onus on individual workers to cope with the stress of behavioral health work without also addressing the environmental factors that contribute to workplace stress, organizations should promote individual and group practices that contribute to emotional health and psychological wellbeing.

Many employers have focused their wellbeing resources on providing easy access to support services like Employee Assistance Programs for workers who find themselves in crisis, yet research suggests these offerings are among the least utilized employee benefits and may be only slightly better than doing nothing at all.This raises the question: what should behavioral health workforce wellbeing efforts focus on?

Research suggests several promising areas of focus for workforce wellbeing strategies:

Physical Health

Support employees to maintain good physical health through balanced nutrition, physical activity, and adequate sleep.

Self-Expression 

Encourage employees to engage in positive self-expression through creative endeavors.

Mindfulness

Prioritize spiritual health through meditation and mindfulness.

Resilience

Build resilience by cultivating realistic optimism, seeking social support, and increasing gratitude, positive emotions, and attention to positive aspects of the environment.