WELLNESS GRANTS
2015-2016 Application Process
Background.
The County's commitment to employee wellness is based on recognition that a healthy, productive workforce is critical to achieving the mission of the County.
In April 2011, the Board of Supervisors approved the County Wellness Policy. The Policy focuses on creating a healthy workforce through a combination of individual responsibility, healthy work practices and organizational/environmental support, often termed a “Culture of Health”. It aligns with the Shared Vision 2025 of building healthy communities.
County Departments have a pivotal role in creating a “Culture of Health”. Much like the County’s efforts to ensure a discrimination-free and harassment free workplace, it is a gradual process that involves obvious short-term changes and more subtle long-term ones. The ultimate goal is to create a work environment that supports the highest potential in our employees by ensuring their good health, well-being and work-life balance.
To get started, the County Wellness Committee is overseeing the Wellness Grants Project, a 3-year effort to get Departments engaged in direct action to make organizational changes and workplace improvements that directly support the health and well-being of its staff.
The County Wellness Committee is inviting all County Departments / Health Divisions to complete a “Culture of Health” Assessment and Employee Input to determine areas where they are doing things that support a healthy workforce, and areas for improvement or change.
County Departments / Health Divisions that complete the process will be eligible to receive Wellness Grants that can be spent on wellness programs, services, activities or facility improvements for their employees. The Wellness Grants are determined by department size (# employees), plus a $1,000 basic award to each County Department / Health Division that submits a Wellness Grant application. The minimum Wellness Grant amount that will be awarded to a County Department / Health Division is $1,000. The total Wellness Grant budget for 2015-2016 is $49,700.
Progress to Date.
We are pleased to share our County-wide progress in meeting key components of the County Wellness Policy. On the Wellness Website are posted two documents:
Ranking of Work Units based upon “Culture of Health” Assessment responses. This is one way to identify how well a Work Unit is doing compared to other Work Units in the County regarding its wellness efforts.
Ranking of Policy Items based upon Work Unit responses. This shows where the County is doing well in its compliance efforts and where there is opportunity for continued improvement or change.
This is the third year of a three-year Wellness Grant project. We invite your County Department / Health Division to participate and continue to build a “Culture of Health” in our County.
Components.
“Culture of Health” Checklist. The goal of the “Culture of Health” Checklist is to ensure that work environment and work practices support healthy choices for employees and the public. It identifies positive aspects of the current work environment as well as areas for improvement/change and opportunities for additional cultural transformation.
For Work Units with 15 or more employees, there is a 67-item checklist that aligns with the six sections of the County Wellness Policy. There are 20 items that are “mandatory” and must either be in place OR corrected during 2015-2016.
For Work Units with 15 or less employees, there is a shortened checklist that includes the “mandatory” items that must either be place or corrected during 2015-2016.
The “Culture of Health” Checklist is one of two processes that must be completed by a County Department / Health Division in order for it to receive a Wellness Grant.
Employee Input.
The hallmark of a “Culture of Health” is that employees see, feel and experience Wellness every day. One way to identify how that might happen is to ask them.
A department can use any process that it chooses to accomplish this task. The only criterion is that every employee has the opportunity to participate and provide input about what’s important to his/her health, well-being and work-life balance while at work. The goal is to obtain a 25+% response among employees at your identified Work Unit(s). Some examples include:
Brainstorming ideas at a regularly scheduled staff meeting;
Special meetings / focus groups within Department or Work Units
Create a pencil /paper survey or survey monkey to ask open-ended questions.
Create a suggestion box or other anonymous process to gather employee input.
Use a standardized Survey Monkey tool. The Wellness Committee has prepared a Survey Monkey tool that County Departments / Health Divisions can use. The Department Wellness Champions may have administrative rights to view and download results OR department summary reports will be prepared and distributed to them 3-4 weeks prior to the application deadline.
Wellness Grant Application.
With the results of the “Culture of Health” Checklist(s) and Employee Input, the Department/Division outlines generally how it intends to spend the Wellness Grant funds that are available, based upon a per capita formula ($4/ budgeted FTE) plus $1,000. The minimum Wellness Grant is $1,000.
Timeline.
The Wellness Grant project was originally presented to Executive Council on January 28, 2013. The 2015-2016 process will be overseen by the County Wellness Committee.
Aug 13 - Final Review and Approval of Documents and Process by Wellness Committee. Aug 13 – 31 Final Update of Documents and Source Information and Website Posting Aug 24 -- Notification to Executive Council.
Aug 31 - Notification to Department directors about Wellness Grant application period and deadline. Sep 14 - Presentation to Department Wellness Champions and Department managers
about Wellness Grant process, answer questions, etc. (available live stream) Oct 30 – Deadline to submit Wellness Grant Application to County Wellness Committee.
Nov / Dec -- Wellness Committee ~Department WorkGroup reviews applications and follows up with questions / clarification / revisions.
Jan 14, 2016 -- County Wellness Committee reviews and approves applications. Notification to Departments of Wellness Grant.
Jan 17, 2016 -- Wellness Grants funds transferred to Departments via journal entry. Dec 31, 2016 Deadline for Departments to spend Wellness Grant monies.
What can be purchased, what cannot.
The County Wellness Committee reserves the authority to fund only services or supplies that support a “Culture of Health” at the County, with deference to responsible use of public funds as outlined in current administrative memorandum and/or County policies.
Items that can be purchased with Wellness Grants include but are not limited to:
Access to Healthy Food: monthly fruit bowls or produce delivery, healthy food for staff meetings, trainings or department celebrations or recognition programs; nutrition speakers/chefs; healthy recipe booklets; educational materials/posters ; nutrition challenges or competitions (incentives); water pitchers/carafes & glasses/mugs;
Physical Activity at work: pre-work stretch programs, exercise instructors, TV monitors, DVRs and exercise DVDs, activity challenges or competitions (incentives); pedometers or other activity monitoring devices; bicycles; health club day passes;
Mental Well-being: wellness event or training for staff; stress management training; incentives;
Work-Life Balance: trainings on managing organizational change and processes that support health, well-being and work-life balance;
Managing Health: blood pressure monitors; weight scales; glucometers; department incentives for Wellness Screening participation;
Physical Work Environment: energy-efficient appliances, facility improvements, countertop appliances for upgraded employee break rooms; fitness equipment and/or workout supplies; facility improvements for a dedicated workout area or fitness center; upgraded lactation rooms, facility improvements to create dedicated lactation room(s); facility/space improvements for dedicated quiet room; water testing and water filters for faucets.
Items that cannot be purchased with Wellness Grants include but are not limited to: Pre-packaged snacks and beverages that do not meet 35-10-35 Nutrition standards
Any prepared foods or beverages that are generally considered high fat and/or high sugar in content. Any beverages or products containing alcohol.
Any smoking-related products or accessories.
Individual Massage therapy appointments. However, departments can hire a massage therapist for staff events and/or provide individual gift cards that can be used for a massage.
Overall Considerations:
It should be easy for a Review Committee to align your proposed Wellness Plan with your “Culture of Health” assessment results and/or the key findings from your Employee Input process.
You are asked to consider funding for wellness projects or activities that are “possible and doable”.
it corrects a “mandatory” wellness item on the Culture of Health checklist (marked with an *)
it is a project or activity that employees at the identified Work Unit(s) (Q2) can experience and enjoy.
it doesn’t require significant contingencies in order for it to be completed (e.g. you want to create a workout room, but don’t have the space)
it can be fully funded by the Wellness Grant or, if not, the department is willing to fund all excess costs or obtain external funding.
Instructions.
Instructions for completing the Wellness Grant Application by the Wellness Coordinator and Department Manager are embedded in the document.
At the departmental level, the Wellness Grant process will be co-lead by the Department Wellness Champion (and his/her designees, if needed) and at least one Department / Division Director. To be considered for a 2015-2016 Wellness Grant, your department must have one or more Department Wellness Champion(s) designated before October 30, 2015. Contact Pamela Gibson to confirm and/or update your Department Wellness Champion list.
If your department has only one Work Unit, your department will complete one “Culture of Health” Checklist, and at least one Employee Input process. Your department will submit one Wellness Plan. If your department has multiple Work Units, your department has the following options:
Complete “Culture of Health” checklists for all Work Units, conduct Employee Input processes for all employees. Your department will submit one Wellness Plan, covering all Work Units and all
employees.
Complete “Culture of Health” checklist for some Work Units and Employee Input process for employees at those Work Units. Your department will combine information and create one Wellness Plan,
covering all selected Work Units and all employees at those Work Units.
Instructions for completing the “Culture of Health” Assessment by the Department Wellness Coordinator and Department Manager are embedded in the document.
If your department uses the standardized Survey Monkey tool (created by the Wellness Committee) to obtain employee input, the instructions for completing it are included on the Survey Monkey tool. The Survey takes 5-8 minutes to complete. The survey link is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TTPK2ZB The Department Wellness Champions may have administrative rights to view and download results OR department summary reports will be prepared and distributed to them 3-4 weeks prior to the application deadline.
2014-2015 Grant: Final Report
Describe how you utilized the 2014-2015 Wellness Grant monies in your Department, at each of the Work Locations identified in #Q2.
Describe each completed activity that was implemented using funds from the 2014-15 Wellness Grant funding cycle. Include any activities that are scheduled for after the 2015-16 application deadline. This section must be completed and returned with the 2015-16 Wellness Grant application.
Activity Date(s) Completed # of Participants cost $ cost $ cost $ cost $ cost $ cost $ cost $ cost $