By Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer 

May is Mental Health Month, a time dedicated to prioritizing our well-being and promoting open conversations about mental health. At King County, we recognize the importance of mental health to our overall health and well-being and we champion each other in support and recovery. We know the impact mental health challenges have on our personal and professional lives. It’s real. And many of us feel these challenges, either personally, or with our loved ones, every single day.

This year’s theme from Mental Health America, “Where to Start: Mental Health in a Changing World,” reminds us that everyone deserves to feel supported and empowered to support their mental health and well-being and to seek help and support when needed. Statistics support what we already see and feel, one in five people will experience a mental health condition in any given year, and loneliness is at an all-time high.

Throughout May, our Balanced You team will host mental health related activities to raise awareness and encourage supportive strategies. Mental Health Month is also the perfect time to learn more about the benefits and resources we offer to support King County employees’ mental health and well-being. At King County, we are proud to offer:

• A workplace culture that strives to encourage conversations about mental health;
• An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with confidential counseling services available for all employees;
• An active employee well-being program, Balanced You, that prioritizes strategies to promote employee mental health, such as the mindfulness toolkit for the workplace.
• An Employee Giving Program that encourages employees to connect with their community and policies supporting the use of sick leave time to volunteer with approved non-profit organizations.

Additionally, I am excited to announce that, beginning July 1, King County will launch a partnership with a new provider, SupportLinc, for the Making Life Easier (MLE) program. MLE, powered by SupportLinc, will maintain MLE’s current offering of eight (8) free counseling sessions per issue to all employees and anyone living in the employee’s home, while also expanding the types of mental health resources available to County employees, such as virtual group supports tailored toward a variety of topics.  

You can learn more about Balanced You’s Mental Health Month activities, available benefits and resources to support you and your family, and information about specific events in Employee News and Wellness Wednesday throughout the month. Mental health resource information can always be found on Balanced You’s blog and website. You can reach out to the Balanced You team at balancedyou@kingcounty.gov with any questions.

Please remember that no one is alone. King County is an employer that will continuously strive to acknowledge and support our employees in mental health and well-being. We will do this in the way we lead with our values, and how we provide resources and benefits to our employees. Whether you’re seeking support for yourself or your loved ones, there are many tools, programs, and resources available. As an employer we prioritize and support mental health. Help is out there, and recovery is possible. Thank you for supporting one another and the people we serve.