May 6, 2022 – North Country Community Mental Health (NCCMH) has received the Platinum Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health —the highest certification level possible for workplace mental health— by Mental Health America. Only a handful of companies nationwide have achieved this designation.
Mental Health America is the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and promoting the overall mental health of all.
According to Jennifer Nolan, NCCMH Human Resource Manager, the designation was not easy to achieve. “The process involved an in-depth application and several hours of compiling details about our workplace processes, including our policies, workplace flexibilities, Wellness Committee activities, and strategies to promote mental health awareness, education, and resources among all staff.”
Christine Gebhard, NCCMH CEO, said this achievement is particularly important for the North Country organization. “As a healthcare facility which serves people with mental health issues, it is especially critical for us to provide a mentally healthy workplace for our own staff. Our staff is our most valuable—and valued—resource, and we are committed to supporting and retaining our people. One of our strategic goals is to be recognized as an employer of choice and that has been demonstrated by the number of staff who stay with our agency for ten, twenty, and even thirty years.”
“Achieving Bell Seal Platinum certification affirms the commitment and mission of our Wellness Committee, which is ‘Our staffs’ wellness is our well-being’. As a behavioral health organization, we place a high value on our own staffs’ mental health and are gratified to receive this recognition,” Gebhard added.
Nolan noted that the NCCMH’s overall score was 91%, which Taylor Adams, Director of Workplace Mental Health at Mental Health America, indicated is an extremely high score. “We scored 100% in Caring Beyond Compliance, 100% in Holistic Wellness at Work, 91% in Supportive Workplace Culture, and 83% in Mental Health Benefits,” Nolan said.
“As we ‘return to work’ post-pandemic, it is clear — employee mental health is essential,” said Adams. “As a Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health recipient, North Country CMH has demonstrated a commitment to its workforce, especially when employers need to prioritize workforce mental health most.”
North Country Community Mental Health provides services to residents of Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, Kalkaska and Otsego Counties experiencing a serious mental illness, severe emotional problem, or intellectual/developmental disability, including individuals with co-occurring substance use disorder.
Persons wishing to know more about North Country Community Mental Health are encouraged to visit www.norcocmh.org or to access services call 877-470-7130.
