1. How is the Heritage Christian Services Wellness program structured?  Heritage Christian Service’s wellness program, HealthyYOU, is guided by Heritage Christian’s Employee Winning Proposition: and is designed to support employees’ physical, mental, emotional and financial well-being. Led by a wellness committee, the HealthyYOU program offers a mix of ongoing resources, virtual and in-person activities and seasonal initiatives ensuring employees have access to preventative, educational, and supportive services.

2. What are the various initiatives employees can participate in throughout the year? Employees at Heritage Christian Services can engage in a wide range of wellness initiatives such as:

• Individual and Team Based Wellness Challenges: Whether it be a team based, vendor supported, activity challenge in the fall or an individual self-care challenge during Mental Health Awareness Month, the HealthyYOU program provides opportunities for employees to learn about and engage in activities and resources that can impact individual well-being while strengthening relationships with co-workers.

• Fitness Programs: Employees have access to discounted memberships at fitness center locations across Western New York as well as free, virtual exercise and Yoga classes. Additionally, employees have free access to Heritage Christian’s wellness center and satellite fitness centers at office locations.

• Preventative Care: The HealthyYOU program offers biometric screenings, blood pressure clinics and access to mobile mammography services to support employees in understanding their health status in order to make informed decisions about their well-being.

• Financial Wellness Workshops: Partnering with Summit Federal Credit Union, our program provides a monthly workshop covering topics such as Women & Investing, Understanding Credit Reports, Home Buying and more.

• Focus on Mental Health and Impacting Stigma: The HealthyYOU program prioritizes mental and emotional health through a range of initiatives and working to reduce barriers associated with discussing mental health in the workplace including:

• Teaching employees to recognize signs of mental health challenges and provide initial support to colleagues through Mental Health First Aid Trainings.

• Support in understanding addiction and how to respond to an opioid overdose through Narcan Trainings.

• Promote Self-Care awareness through mindfulness and meditation classes, stress-relief workshops and mental health awareness month themed activities and challenges.

• All of our activities build awareness around and provide pathways to access resources associated with Heritage Christian’s health plan and employee assistance program including mental health counseling, health coaching, financial consultations and more.

3. What program barriers has Heritage Christian had to overcome throughout the past few years? While planning is happening loosely all year round (collecting raffle prizes, engaging vendors, etc.), the heavy planning begins in mid-late Spring, with a lot of the summer spent in prep. 

4. How does leadership support the program?  Heritage Christian Services leadership supports our program by allocating financial and people resources to support on-going well-being initiatives. Leaders also play a key role in raising awareness of wellness programs, resources, and company benefits by actively participating in wellness activities and encouraging others to do the same throughout the year

5. What advice would you give someone who is starting a wellness program at work? Ensure that your wellness program is aligned with your organizations mission, vision and values and fits into your workplace culture. Engage employees early on and include them in shaping the program to ensure it meets their needs. Use the experts available to you and leverage your partners, such as the Lawley Wellness team, your EAP or community partners to assist in your design. And be sure to promote inclusivity and design a program that is accessible and resonates with employees of differing abilities and backgrounds.

6. Is there anything else you would like to share about your wellness program? We recognize that supporting the well-being of Heritage Christian Services employees goes beyond the initiatives of our wellness program. Whether it’s the inclusion efforts led by our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) team, talent development colleagues empowering leaders to holistically support their teams, or our Success Coaches assisting employees in overcoming personal barriers that may impact their success at work, every team member at Heritage Christian plays a vital role in fostering a workplace that prioritizes well-being.

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