MONROE, LA – Northeast Delta Human Service Authority (NEDHSA) launched its Wellness at Work initiative, a program designed to relieve employees’ stress and burnout. Inspired by the experiences with the occurrence of COVID-19 and the ongoing stress of navigating life in the days after, NEDHSA’s Wellness at Work initiative will give staff an intentional approach to heal, replenish, and rebuild themselves and, in return, continue to pour into NEDHSA’s mental health, addiction, developmental disabilities, and prevention and wellness services in Louisiana’s Delta.
NEDHSA Executive Director Dr. Monteic A. Sizer said COVID-19 has taken its toll on all of us and “leaders must understand this fact and create healing environments.”
“Healing environments and healthy teams will produce a greater sense of collective purpose, increased ingenuity, productivity, and improved health outcomes,” Dr. Sizer said. “Staff that are sick, overwhelmed, and absent are not productive. Healing must occur inside and outside of complex organizations.”
NEDHSA partnered with Alexis Cherrell of Holistic Wellness to provide wellness and emotional healing services that include holistic yoga, sauna detox, oxygen bar, and vitamin cocktails. Holistic Wellness will provide these services at each NEDHSA location throughout the region and allow staff to select a day and time to get their service rendered.
NEDHSA Prevention & Wellness Director Dr. Avius Carroll shared Dr. Sizer’s thoughts about COVID-19 and added that it “revealed to us the level of stress and burnout we were experiencing.”
“We have been compiling more stress as we navigated through a pandemic, personally and professionally,” Dr. Carroll said. “Now it’s time to heal, connect and rebuild. And our agency, which helps so many in the region every day, has to be willing to do it for ourselves.”
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For more information, contact Public Information Director DeRon Talley by emailing deron.talley@la.gov
