Rochester firm’s program lifts employee mental health and wellness

Listen to this article

A Rochester-based benefit and wellness consulting firm is using an international program to help clients lift the mental and emotional wellbeing of their employees.

Smola Consulting offers clients a program called the Lift Project, which brings together science-based strategies from the fields of neuroscience, positive psychology and lifestyle medicine.

The mental health self-management program was created by Darren Morton, an author, educator and researcher, based in Australia. The Lift Project has been used by participants across the globe.

The lessons are backed by science but are presented in an enjoyable, and doable, way, said Rick Amundson, a wellness consultant with Smola. The topics are presented in up to ten 15-minute lessons.

They are simple, common-sense concepts but one’s people don’t always pay attention to, he said, and include lessons on how food impacts one’s mood, the benefits of exercise and the importance of getting outside in nature.

Studies have shown the program significantly reduces depressive symptoms, anxiety and stress while improving positive attributes of mental health such as energy and satisfaction with life.

Amundson said programs like the Lift Project can positively impact a company’s culture, boosting morale, enhancing productivity and increasing employee retention.

“Employers will be able to see a big benefit from this program if they choose to implement it,” he said.

Amundson, a retired school superintendent, said workplace health and wellness had been a top priority pre-COVID-19 but the pandemic made it even more so.

Dan Justis, a fellow wellness consultant with Smola, agreed that the pandemic was a wakeup call of sorts when it came to mental health and wellness.

“People began seeing the importance of their health and wellbeing in ways they hadn’t before,” Justis said, adding that mental and emotional well-being is a top concern among employers and their employees.

Morton praised Amundson and Justis for their work with the Lift Project, telling the RBJ that the two have not only used the program to help their clients, but they have also innovated it, so it best meets their clients’ needs.

Morton believes the Lift Project has been a success because it approaches mental wellness in a positive way, eliminating any stigmas around the topic. It also places an emphasis on education, explaining to participants why it works versus just telling them what to do.

Since a person’s wellbeing influences several factors, including one’s work performance, Morton said companies are paying more attention to it and offering needed support.

“Workplaces play an important role in turning the tide in this epidemic,” he said.

Smola works with for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations on health and wellness efforts, but its largest client base for it is school districts.

The firm recently worked with 41 area school districts on the Lift Project. It was presented to the FLASHP (Finger Lakes Area School Health Plan) and SAS (Steuben Area Schools) communities between Oct.16^th and January 5^th.

The ten lessons were voluntary and delivered over seven weeks, with bonus lessons offered in weeks two, six and seven. All lessons were available for five more weeks after the course was completed.

More than 3,300 people participated in the program, including school employees and their family members.

Upon the program’s completion, participants were asked about its effectiveness. The results found that:

• 84 percent reported improved mental health and wellbeing.

• 93 percent said it gave them the skills to support their mental health and wellbeing in challenging times.

• 81 percent said it would have a positive, long-term influence on their wellbeing, and

• 93 percent would recommend the Lift Project to a friend.

Some of the recent school district participants used what they learned during the Lift Project to work together on efforts focused on community improvements, Amundson said.

One group, for example, got involved with a trail restoration while another created a frisbee golf course.

Amundson noted that the effects of the Lift Project can be shared by participants with others, adding that the lessons often have a lasting impact.

“It’s like reading a good book,” he said. “It’s hard to put down.”

[email protected] / (585) 653-4021