I. National Frameworks Adapted for Ohio

These foundational frameworks provide the "North Star" for building a mentally healthy organizational culture.

 

1. U.S. Surgeon General’s Framework

This framework identifies five essentials for workplace mental health and well-being. Ohio employers can build a foundation by focusing on:

• Protection from Harm: Prioritizing physical and psychological safety, normalizing mental health conversations, and ensuring confidential access to care.
• Connection and Community: Fostering social support and creating inclusive dialogue spaces.
• Work-Life Harmony: Setting realistic workloads and ensuring policies that support work-life balance.
• Mattering at Work: Providing employees with a sense of purpose and a voice in decisions.
• Opportunity for Growth: Offering learning and development that supports long-term stability.
• Link: Explore the Surgeon General’s Essentials

 

2. The EARN "4 A’s" Strategy

The Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN) provides a four-pillar approach to "bring your A-game" to mental health:

• Awareness: Hosting educational workshops to reduce the stigma of mental illness and substance use disorders.
• Accommodations: Providing flexible schedules, quiet spaces, or administrative leave for treatment and recovery.
• Assistance: Promoting deeply integrated Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) that support families.
• Access: Ensuring health insurance plans provide equal coverage for mental and physical health as required by law.

 

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II. Research-Backed Interventions

Specific, data-driven actions that address the root causes of workplace stress.

1. Upstream Intervention: Financial Wellness

Financial stress is a significant driver of poor mental health. Ohio employers are integrating financial wellness as preventive care:

• Personalized Assessments: Identifying life-stage challenges for individual employees.
• Fiduciary Coaching: Providing unbiased guidance on debt management and emergency savings.
• Strategic Impact: Addressing financial root causes reduces downstream healthcare costs and productivity loss.

2. Stigma Reduction & Training

• Leadership-Led Campaigns: When executives openly champion mental health, they create a culture of safety that maximizes program ROI.
• "This is Me" Campaign: A model for leadership-driven initiatives that increase EAP utilization without additional costs.
• Recovery Friendly Training: Modules designed to help managers hire and retain staff in recovery.
• Link: Recovery Friendly Employer Modules

 

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III. Best Practices from Ohio Employers

Proven success stories from local institutions that demonstrate measurable ROI.

1. The Ohio State University: Comprehensive Wellness

• Strategy: Implemented a university-wide wellness program including the STAR Program for clinician support.
• Outcome: Achieved a $3.65 ROI per dollar spent and three consecutive years of negative healthcare spending trends.
• Link: OSU STAR Program & Wellness Success

2. Kent State University: Targeted Depression Initiative

• Strategy: Launched a specific initiative to provide targeted interventions for employees with depression.
• Outcome: Saved $1+ million in the first 12 months, reducing claims by $4,861 per affected employee annually.
• Link: Kent State Mental Health Case Study

3. Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC)

• Strategy: The Workplace Wellness Grant Program (WWGP) helps de-risk the initial cost for employers to implement wellness programs.
• Outcome: Provides a built-in framework for evaluating workplace safety impact and claims frequency.
• Link: BWC Workplace Wellness Grant Details

 

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Next Steps: Implementation Guides & Tools

For a deeper dive into practical implementation—including manager check-in scripts, sleep hygiene tips, and crisis intervention guides—please visit our full Resource Library.

There, you can download the Mercy Health Tip Sheets and connect with state partners to begin building your mentally healthy workplace.