{"id":38758,"date":"2026-08-27T05:39:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T05:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/?p=38758"},"modified":"2026-08-27T21:34:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T21:34:26","slug":"workplace-wellness-jurisdictional-examples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/es\/workplace-wellness-jurisdictional-examples\/","title":{"rendered":"What are examples of organizational initiatives that create a workplace culture around wellness?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Overview<\/h2>\n

Organizational wellness is the responsibility of everyone in an organization \u2014 from human resources and executive leadership to supervisors and frontline staff. In a child protection agency, where work is inherently complex and emotionally demanding, the organizational culture rests on shared values, norms, and practices. When wellness is deeply embedded into agency culture, workforce stability and service delivery are strengthened, driving improved outcomes for children and families.<\/p>\n

This brief highlights three jurisdictions that center organizational wellness within their child protection agency culture: Franklin County (Ohio), New Jersey, and Washington, D.C.1<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0While their strategies vary based on institutional objectives, all of them:<\/p>\n

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  1. Use data to measure change over time.<\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. Embed wellness into strategic plans and priorities.<\/strong><\/li>\n
  3. Employ staff dedicated to managing organizational health initiatives.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    For more information on how worker wellness can be promoted at the individual and organizational levels, see the companion briefs: What do we know about wellness in child welfare organizations? <\/a>and How can leaders center workforce wellness in child protection agencies? \u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

    Centering organizational health in Franklin County, Ohio<\/h3>\n

    Franklin County Children Services (FCCS) is a child protection agency in Ohio, a state that operates a county-administered child welfare system. The agency employs about 800 direct service and administrative staff and serves 1.32 million people throughout the capital city of Columbus and its metro area.<\/p>\n

    Recognizing the inextricable tie between workforce well-being and quality service delivery, FCCS has integrated wellness into its organizational identity. In 2021, the agency established the Organizational Health Department (OHD). Operating separately from Human Resources, the department focuses on agency culture and practice. \u201cPositioning organizational health outside of employee relations signals that agency culture and wellness are distinct from compliance and conflict resolution,\u201d says Tanya McClanahan, director of FCCS\u2019 Inclusion and Analysis Division that oversees OHD. With a five-employee team, OHD prioritizes a proactive and sustainable approach to workforce stability that it describes as a \u201ccatalyst for agencywide change.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Leadership commitment<\/h3>\n

    Employee wellness is a pillar within the FCCS strategic plan, thereby formalizing a safe and engaged workforce as an organizational priority. A range of wellness initiatives are integrated across practice and program operations throughout the agency, such as Well-being at Work<\/em>, a framework grounded in the U.S. Surgeon General\u2019s guidance on workplace mental health and well-being<\/a>. The agency\u2019s commitment to wellness is anchored in the idea that staff cannot engage well with children and families unless their own workplace experience is grounded in wellness, says FCCS Executive Director Chip Spinning. The FCCS leadership team invests necessary resources to examine organizational culture, align agency goals with staff wellness support, and collect data to identify areas for potential growth and track improvement over time.<\/p>\n

    FCCS reports a 13% turnover rate over the past two years \u2014 a comparably low rate for child welfare work. Leadership attributes the workforce retention to the agency\u2019s efforts toward organizational wellness.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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    Being a learning organization that supports personal growth positions us to better serve children and families. We ask families to do the hard work of growth and reflection, and as staff, we must be willing to do the same. By continually examining our own areas of development, we can bring the best version of ourselves to this work.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    — Chip Spinning, Executive Director, Franklin County Children Services<\/cite><\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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    Leading with data<\/h3>\n

    To monitor agency culture and inform initiatives, OHD, in partnership with the National Partnership for Child Safely (NPCS) conducts a biennial employee survey that measures emotional exhaustion, workplace connectedness, psychological safety, and intent to remain employed in child welfare. From 2019 to 2024, survey results showed agency improvement across nearly all safety culture scales<\/a>:<\/p>\n