Mental health is a cornerstone of business success in today’s landscape.

Corporations and small businesses alike understand the well-being of their workforce is not just a personal issue, but an essential aspect of organizational health.

Below, learn about area business leaders’ insights into mental health initiatives to improve employee health, productivity and overall happiness.

Brown & Brown Insurance

Brain health is simply part of the culture at Brown & Brown Insurance.

“Brown & Brown believes that mental health is central to how you perform in your daily life, including at work,” said Kelly Koeninger, vice president of global total rewards and benefits. “We understand our responsibility as an employer to help care for the mental health of our teammates, their families and those in our local communities — it’s all part of our Culture of Caring.”  

The Daytona Beach-based insurance company received the 2023-2024 Platinum Level Bell Seal Award for workplace mental health from Mental Health America. The award was given based on workplace culture, benefits, compliance and wellness programs.

In 2023, the company enhanced its coaching, therapy and work-life services partnership. These offer 24/7 support online or via a self-care app, granting access to 8,800-plus providers for solutions-focused, evidence-based care and additional offerings for total well-being. Employees can seek assistance for various needs, including legal consultations, financial services and even parental guidance to support the mental health of their teenagers.

“We believe in the power of a consistent feedback loop,” said Koeninger. “We engage directly with teammates to solicit feedback about how our efforts and the programs available have supported them and their families during times of crisis. Our ability to

offer critical care in these times of need has been invaluable, and the gratitude expressed by our teammates has been so rewarding.”

As the company grows globally, so does the challenge of meeting the needs of employees worldwide. To tackle that, the company is expanding its coaching, therapy and work-life services partner and their services in 2025.

SMA Healthcare

For more than 60 years, SMA Healthcare has provided behavioral healthcare services.

Kelly Mellichampe, chief human resources officer, said worker feedback greatly shapes employee-focused programs.

She points to floating holidays as one example, after employees requested more flexible time off to support their mental well-being. Leaders also use engagement surveys and encourage monthly focus groups to refine initiatives.

Mellichampe emphasizes employees’ mental health is “fundamental to the overall health and success” of any business.

“Addressing mental health in the workplace goes beyond providing resources; it involves creating and supporting a culture where people feel safe to discuss their challenges,” said Mellichampe. “When employees know their well-being matters, it builds trust and loyalty, enhancing overall morale.”

For SMA Healthcare employees, that starts from day one. The company’s 40-plus hour orientation includes training on self-care strategies and recognizing the signs of compassion fatigue and burnout.

“This training addresses the physical, mental, physiological and emotional aspects of well-being,” Mellichampe said.

Regular staff check-ins are a critical part of ensuring employees are mentally well, too. Consistently, 12 senior leaders make visits to engage directly with team members through scheduled one-on-one meetings, and less formally by walking around and checking in.

“By prioritizing mental health, we help team members manage unique stressors like compassion fatigue and trauma exposure, reducing burnout and enhancing their ability to support our clients effectively,” she said. “Investing in these programs also helps address high turnover, improving retention and maintaining a stable, experienced workforce.”  

Halifax Health

In healthcare, caregiver fatigue is a real daily battle, said Jim Terry, Service Line Administrator for Adult and Child Psychiatry at Halifax Health.

In 2022 alone, nearly half of health workers felt burned out, according to a CDC report.

“Their emotional reserves are spent doing the caregiving,” said Terry. “When they’re not doing that, it’s hard to find a sense of balance.”

That’s why Halifax Health has made employee mental health a priority.

Despite working in behavioral health, there’s still a stigma associated with asking for that help. Because of Halifax’s large reach, it’s difficult for employees and their family members to find a different facility for privacy purposes.

For that reason, Terry said Halifax takes every measure possible to protect a patient’s privacy — especially employees — so workers see they can quietly reach out for help. Sometimes that means keeping patients on a different floor than their colleagues or getting outside referrals for short-term concerns.

Terry admits healthcare staff are so used to providing care that it can sometimes be difficult to step away and care for themselves.

That might mean using an on-site health and fitness center or exploring the employee assistance program for additional services.

“Employee assistance programs make a world of difference,” said Terry. “A lot of employees fear telling their bosses, ‘I’m having a hard time.’ We need to be able to open it up for people to talk to us about what they need so they can get care.”