An Exploratory Qualitative Analysis of Behavioral Health Leaders' Perspectives on Workplace Wellness

Background and Purpose: Burnout is a significant issue facing approximately half of the behavioral health workforce (Kelly & Hearld, 2020). Individual-oriented strategies focused on self-care and resilience have been at the forefront of the response to this workforce challenge. However, more organizational strategies and responses to address issues of worker well-being and burnout are needed (SAMHSA, 2022). This exploratory qualitative study sought to contribute to this underdeveloped research area by investigating how leaders in behavioral health organizations in one state perceive and respond to workforce wellness in their organization. Specifically, the following research questions were examined: 1) How do behavioral health leaders define workforce wellness? 2) How do leaders articulate their role in relationship to promoting wellness in their organization? and 3) How are leaders presently addressing wellness within their organization, and what strategies do they hope to implement in the future?

Methods: Twenty-five leaders of behavioral health organizations in one state completed a survey in August 2023 prior to participating in a HRSA-funded leadership series offered in Fall 2023. Of these participants, 100% self-identified as female. Sixty percent of participants self-identified as White (n = 15), 20% as Black or African American (n = 5), and 8% each as Asian (n = 2), American Indian or Alaskan Native (n = 2), or More than one race (n = 2). The pre-survey included five open ended questions regarding workforce wellness including 1) their perceptions about the issue, 2) their role and responsibility in workforce wellness promotion, 3) current and 4) ideal practices, and 5) barriers to implementation. Qualitative data were analyzed in MaxQDA using inductive analysis.

Results: Overall, a majority of respondents defined “workforce wellness” as a healthy workplace environment that emphasized employee cohesiveness, trust, and support. Most participants indicated that their role in relation to workplace wellness was to support their employees’ wellness and self-care (n = 15, 60%). However, some leaders were not clear about their role in relationship to workforce wellness. Almost half of the leaders (n = 10, 40%) were currently implementing wellness initiatives within their organization. Common barriers preventing leaders from implementing wellness approaches included time, financial constraints, and lack of staff and organizational willingness. Leaders also shared that in an ideal world they would address wellness through adding benefits and programs in the workplace.

Conclusions and Implications: Despite study limitations, findings offer insight into the workforce wellness efforts undertaken by behavioral health leaders to support their workforce. Findings underscore leaders’ eagerness to adopt workforce wellness programs despite lack of clarity regarding their role in relation to workforce wellness in their organization. Implications of these findings related to behavioral health worker wellbeing and workplace policies and programs will be discussed.

References:

Kelly, R. J., & Hearld, L. R. (2020). Burnout and leadership style in behavioral health care: A literature review. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 47(4), 581–600.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2022). Addressing Burnout in the Behavioral Health Workforce Through Organizational Strategies: SAMHSA Publication No. PEP22-06-02-005. Rockville, MD.