Brookings Health Takes NAMI StigmaFree Workplace Pledge

  • May 24, 2022

Grant and Foundation Donations Fund Resources to Support Employees Mental Health

NAMI South Dakota presenter Angela Hyde educates Brookings Health System employees about mental health and how to reduce the stigma of mental health conditions at a recent training session. Brookings Health provided education to employees as a part of becoming a NAMI StigmaFree partner. The health system took NAMI’s StigmaFree Workplace pledge in an effort to support the mental health and wellbeing of team members.
NAMI South Dakota presenter Angela Hyde educates Brookings Health System employees about mental health and how to reduce the stigma of mental health conditions at a recent training session. Brookings Health provided education to employees as a part of becoming a NAMI StigmaFree partner. The health system took NAMI’s StigmaFree Workplace pledge in an effort to support the mental health and wellbeing of team members.

To support the mental health and wellbeing of its employees, Brookings Health recently pledged to become a National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) StigmaFree Workplace. It is the first organization in Brookings to take the pledge.

“One in five people in the United States are affected by mental illness,” said Inpatient Care Director Jaclyn Rauen, RN, who leads the team initiative for the health system. “When mental health concerns aren’t properly addressed, the symptoms can cause challenges in the workplace. Fortunately, most mental health symptoms improve with proper support. Brookings Health wants our team members to feel supported. We want to help them perform well and have a happy work life.”

As a NAMI StigmaFree partner, Brookings Health has committed to combatting mental health stigma in the workplace through education, training and support. The health system recently provided education from NAMI South Dakota for team members to help promote a healthy workplace culture. It also created a dedicated StigmaFree resource page on the organization’s intranet to give employees quick access to policies, local mental health providers and supplementary education.

Emergency Department Director Karen Weber, RN, and Foundation Director Sara Schneider adjust the lighting in Brookings Health System’s new recharge room. The recharge room is one of the new resources to help support team members’ mental health and wellbeing. It is a dedicated space that allows employees to focus on relaxation and healthily release stress while at work. The room was funded by a South Dakota Department of Health WorkWell Mental Health Grant and funds donated to Brookings Health System Foundation's 2021 Day of Giving campaign.
Emergency Department Director Karen Weber, RN, and Foundation Director Sara Schneider adjust the lighting in Brookings Health System’s new recharge room. The recharge room is one of the new resources to help support team members’ mental health and wellbeing. It is a dedicated space that allows employees to focus on relaxation and healthily release stress while at work. The room was funded by a South Dakota Department of Health WorkWell Mental Health Grant and funds donated to Brookings Health System Foundation's 2021 Day of Giving campaign.

“Thanks to the South Dakota Department of Health WorkWell Mental Health Grant and funds donated to Brookings Health System Foundation’s 2021 Day of Giving campaign, we have also added a new recharge room for team members,” said Foundation Director Sara Schneider. “The recharge room is a dedicated space for all employees to relax, meditate and breathe. It includes a zero gravity chair, massage chair, nature mural and an A/V system that plays relaxing sounds, scenes and lighting.”

The new resources build upon Brookings Health’s established mental health benefits, such as the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) which offers team members support for relationships, depression, anxiety, stress and other mental health conditions. The health system has also reinforced its Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) policies which proactively support employees after responding to a traumatic event.

Brookings Health’s workforce embodies the spirit of teamwork, working together across disciplines to care for local patients and residents. Individuals who want to join Brookings Health System’s Top 20 Rural Community Hospital team can find a position right for them at brookingshealth.org/Careers.

About Brookings Health System

Brookings Health System, located in Brookings, South Dakota, includes a 49-bed hospital, the 79-bed The Neighborhoods at Brookview nursing home, Brookhaven Estates senior living apartments, Yorkshire Eye Clinic & Optical, and medical clinics in Arlington, White and Volga, South Dakota. It is a non-profit, city-owned facility that offers the community a full range of inpatient, outpatient, emergency and extended care services. Brookings Hospital provides local access to doctors in Brookings and offers robotic da Vinci surgery and Mako robotic-arm assisted procedures, making it one of the premier rural community hospitals in South Dakota. For more information about the services offered at Brookings Health System, please call (605) 696-9000 or visit us on the Web at brookingshealth.org.