Highlands Sports Complex WELL

Mind

Mind Concept Intent

The WELL Mind concept promotes mental health through policy, program and design strategies that seek to address the diverse factors that influence cognitive and emotional well-being.    

Table of Contents

M01: Mental Health Promotion

Focus: to promote mental health and well-being through a commitment to mental health education, programming, and initiatives.

Why it's Important:

The global impact of mental health is profound. Depression is the leading cause of disability in the world, and depression and anxiety alone cost the global economy an estimated USD $1 trillion due to lost productivity. Unfortunately, support for investment in resources to support mental health is not commensurate with mental health’s impact on the workplace and, more broadly, the global burden of disease. Recent estimates indicate that common mental health conditions (e.g., anxiety, depression, substance use) are experienced by 18% of adults over a 12-month period, and 30% of adults over the lifetime. Despite the prevalence of mental health conditions worldwide, global annual spending on mental health is less than USD $2 per person. In addition to its impact on productivity, failure to address mental health in the workplace can contribute to high turnover; presenteeism and absenteeism; repetitive recruitment and training costs; increased use of drug plans, disability claims, sick leave, employee assistance plans (EAPs) and other costly supports and increased accidents and injuries. Unfortunately, many individuals suffering from mental health conditions do not get the help they need. This problem is due to numerous factors, including poor mental health literacy and fear of stigma. Surveys show that many people are unable to correctly recognize mental disorders in themselves or others. Additionally, fear of stigma is shown to be a contributing factor toward underutilization of mental healthcare services available in the workplace.  Addressing mental health can have a major impact on individuals and communities. By promoting and normalizing the discussion of mental health, projects can help relieve stigma associated with mental health, enhance mental health knowledge and better support a mentally healthy workplace.   

What We Do:

We committed to our employee’s mental well-being and its effects on their lives and strives to break the cycle of mental distress and pressure so prevalent in our region. We know that stress, a lack of sleep, and life without nature increase mental distress and functional limitations of our populations. For these reasons, SFM will initiate programs that focus on:

 

  • Mental health awareness programming
  • Mental health screenings
  • Stress management activities
  • In-house training by a Mental Health professional staff

Periodically, SFM will offer these programs and encourage participation through a variety of media, email, and signage. Occasionally, employees will be surveyed to evaluate programming, take requests for programming, and plan future mental health programming.

M02: Access to Nature

Focus: to support occupant well-being by incorporating the natural environment through interior and exterior design.

Why it's Important:

Through incorporation of nature, the built environment serves as a powerful tool to help relieve stress and mental fatigue, support focus and encourage overall mental well-being. Increasing nature contact at work may offer a simple, population-based approach to enhance workplace health promotion efforts. Exposure to plants and other natural elements has been linked with decreased levels of diastolic blood pressure, depression and anxiety; increased attentional capacity; better recovery from job stress and illness; increased psychological well-being; and increased pain tolerance. Additionally, the incorporation of plants in the work environment is linked with improved employee morale, decreased absenteeism and increased worker efficiency and job satisfaction. The presence of water, natural light and nature views can also impact health and well-being. The incorporation of water into built spaces can relieve stress, promote satisfaction and enhance performance. Exposure to natural light has a substantial impact on mood, circadian health and productivity.  Finally, research links exposure to green or natural views with various positive emotional and cognitive health outcomes, including stress reduction, memory recall and other aspects of cognitive performance. Providing access to nature in built spaces can play a key role in supporting healthy environments by mitigating stressors and positively impacting cognitive and emotional health, focus, productivity and overall well-being.

How We Do It:

Highlands Sports Complex celebrates nature through integration of it into the indoor and outdoor spaces at the complex.

 

The interior of the building of all buildings utilize:

  • natural light through skylights in the performance areas of the facility,
  • nature views from a variety of spaces, most notably in the front of the building and from the tower design feature where the landscapes of the surrounding area are clearly visible.
  • Natural landscapes are visible through the front of the building and into the distance
  • Plants are integrated into the corridors and office areas of the building as well as in the conference room.
  • Sitting areas align the corridors where people can socialize and meet

 

The exterior areas of the project area utilize:

  • Trees, plants, flowers, and grasses along the sitting areas and pathways throughout the site
  • Water features in the front of the building to attract people to sitting areas where they can observe children playing in the playground area within the water features area.
  • The facility’s location on crest of a hill provides morning and evening light
  • All of these areas are accessible to walkways with nature views.

 

Natural elements such as plants and flow patterns of paint designs on the walls in common circulation routes within and outside of the buildings encourages the integration of nature for the benefit of building occupants and visitors.

M03: Mental Health Support

Focus: to increase availability of and access to mental health support services and care.

Why it's Important:

Obtaining appropriate treatment for mental health conditions remains a global barrier. It is estimated that 76-85% of people in low- and middle-income countries and 30-50% in high-income countries receive no treatment, and those who do receive help often face issues around poor-quality care. Compared to other illnesses, those with mental health conditions have longer delays in treatment onset. The median delays for seeking help range from 1–14 years for mood disorders, 3–30 years for anxiety disorders and 6–18 years for substance use disorders. Many complex factors contribute to this gap: inadequate public health and human resources available, a lack of mental health promotion and the stigma associated with mental health conditions. This lack of treatment has enormous public health and economic consequences: individuals with depression miss an average of 4.8 workdays and experience 11.5 days of reduced productivity in a three-month period, and people living with mental health conditions are overall less likely to receive preventive health services (e.g., immunizations, cancer screening, tobacco cessation support) and receive overall lower quality of medical care. Evidence suggests that mental health screening can produce cost-effectiveness ratios similar to those of other commonly performed preventive services, such as screening mammography in women older than 50 years of age or treatment of mild to moderate hypertension. Findings from 21 studies assessing the efficacy of corporate health and productivity programs found that Employee Assistance Plans have returns on investment ranging from USD $1.49–$13.00 per dollar spent, with programs supporting mental health showing one of the highest ROIs. By supporting employees in accessing mental health services, workplaces can both reduce costs and enhance employee health and well-being.

What We Do:

Sports Facility Management is committed to the mental and physical health of our employees. Full-time employees

When, after screening or meeting with health care professionals, the employee needs modifications based on treatment and personal workplace needs, management will be supportive of our employees.

 

As a part of SFM’s commitment to reduce stress, mental distress, and provide an environment conducive to the health of our employees, SFM will:

 

  • Allow utilization of sick time as needed
  • Adjust work schedules for treatment and other mental health-related activities (appointments, etc.)
  • Adjust the physical work environment, including telework, to support mental health needs
  • Provide quiet spaces for employees for breaks, earplugs, and other adjustments onsite

 

If our employees use short- or long-term leave or disability, the employee will be provided a phased return to work from leave, in addition to support from the administrative team in adjusting both access to confidential one-on-one discussions with the manager and set plans for better mental health.

M04: Mental Health Education

Focus: to promote mental health awareness and education through the provision of mental health-focused trainings and education offerings.

Why it's Important:

Many people with mental health conditions delay seeking help; however, they are more likely to receive professional help when it is suggested by someone in their social network. Unfortunately, many individuals lack the skills to facilitate early intervention. Additionally, although recent studies indicate improvements in mental health literacy among the public, there still is a need for increased knowledge regarding causes and recognition of different types of mental health conditions, beliefs about treatment for mental disorders and reduction in stigma against those with mental health conditions. Combined, these factors lead to delays in recognition and help-seeking, hinder public acceptance of evidence-based mental health care and deny those with mental health conditions appropriate support from their communities. Workplace mental health education interventions can help create a more supportive work environment by reducing stigmatizing attitudes and discrimination, lead to enhanced knowledge and awareness and improve employee mental health via increased and potentially earlier help-seeking.

What We Do:

Sports Facility Management believes in practicing what we expect from our employees. As a comprehensive effort to support our employees, our leadership team will commit ourselves to also recognizing mental distress, stress, emotional distress, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse and to respond in a caring, yet professional manner to the needs of our employees.

 

At least once a year, the management team will attend formal mental health training. These training will be offered to our management every quarter and will address a complete set of topics that will include:

 

  • Identifying and reducing workplace stress-related issues (e.g., training on conducting performance reviews, effective communication skills, personnel management, assertiveness, time management, conflict resolution).
  • We recognize common mental health conditions or concerns, covering, at minimum, stress, and burnout, depression, anxiety, and substance use.
  • We are supporting employees through strategies to prevent burnout, low motivation, fatigue, poor work-life balance, and other work-related stress issues.

M05: Stress Support

Focus: to identify and manage areas of workplace stress and provide programs that support stress management.

Why it's Important:

Stress is a pervasive global public health concern and workplace hazard that is linked to numerous negative physical and mental health consequences, including autoimmune disease, obesity, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, muscle tension and backache, migraines and chronic headaches and poor recovery from illness. Exposure to stressful workplace conditions and job strain is linked to and is a predictor of numerous adverse mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, substance use, suicide, poor concentration, emotional exhaustion and burnout. Stress also influences an individual’s ability to engage in other key health behaviors, including smoking cessation, healthful eating and being physically active. Employee stress is incredibly common, with recent studies reporting that 80% of workers feel stress on the job and 25% report work as their number one stressor. Overall, employees who experience stress are more likely to miss work, resulting in an estimated one million worker absences per day due to stress. Additionally, stressed employees are more likely to quit, be involved in an accident, experience reduced performance and incur an average of nearly 46% higher health care expenditures compared to less stressed peers. In the European Union alone, it is estimated that work-related stress negatively affects at least 40 million workers, costing 20 billion euros annually. By preventing or reducing exposure to job stressors and improving resilience to workplace stress, employers can prevent a substantial proportion of common mental health problems as well as the negative physical health outcomes associated with stress.

What We Do:

Sports Facility Management is deeply concerned about the stress levels of our employees and wants to provide support and a management plan to deal with overly stressed employees. Highlands Sports will evaluate the following metrics to help diagnose any stress-related problems and apply helpful solutions to stress:

  • Use of paid time off, sick days and personal days
  • Frequency of leave due to disability or illness
  • Frequency of performance issues
  • Employee retention and turnover rates

Employees are encouraged to present potential changes to work processes and environment, travel policies, work demand management, and work-life balance updates to regular meetings with a further evaluation to be focused on at additional employee meetings and meetings with management, as needed.

 

Sports Facility Management is deeply concerned about the stress levels of our employees. We realize that not only does stress affect job performance, but it also affects the quality of life of our employees, their families, and, ultimately, our communities. The management team receives training on identifying stress in our employees. SFM wants to provide similar training for our employees offered regularly and done at least quarterly so that stress specifically, and mental health generally addresses for our employees.

 

Everyone experiences stress differently. Training for stress and stress management will be developed with the employee’s needs and wants to be emphasized. Surveys and signage will be utilized to create an offering of training that caters to our employees.

 

Further training on responding to stress in healthy ways will also be provided. Our professional staff at Highlands Sports Complex will be providing health and fitness opportunities for all employees, both planned and on-demand. Mindfulness training, as well as other stress-reduction activities, will be available for employees. Staff gets together can be arranged for stress management, along with fitness activities, mindfulness, and additional training desired by employees.

M10: Focus Support

Focus: to reduce distractions and enable focused work by integrating a stimuli manager program within the building.

Why it's Important:

The physical work environment can make a profound difference on an employee’s ability to focus and manage work-related stress. Despite improvements on worker communication and ease of interaction, research has found that employees experience lower satisfaction and productivity, increased distraction and concentration difficulties, poorer health and overall decline in workspace satisfaction in open-plan offices compared to traditional, private offices. Many of these negative effects can be attributed to the impact of increased background noise and distraction on working memory, a brain process that is of critical importance when working on complex tasks and that declines when competing with background noise. The effects of office type are more pronounced depending on an individual’s need for concentration to complete their work, with individuals in need of high concentration experiencing greater distraction and more cognitive distress in open offices compared to cell or flex offices. Additionally, even in offices in which employees have high perceived privacy, irrelevant speech contributes to mental workload, poor performance, stress and fatigue. A lack of privacy and control over the work environment has been found to have negative impacts, as individuals experience psychological comfort from feelings of belonging, ownership and control over their workspace. The work environment can have a significant impact on work performance and concentration by providing a variety of working environments that allow for both concentration and privacy, as well as collaboration and interaction. 

How We Do It:

Sports Facility Management leadership is committed to our employee’s ability to focus on their work. The managers are available to all employees that are concerned with certain aspects of focus at work. Management will interview full time staff as a gauge of overall evaluation of the workplace. As a group, these employees will assist management in providing options besides traditional workplace practices. Giving employees options for workplace arrangements and alternatives for traditional workspaces is imperative for productivity and focus.


Employees at Highlands Sports Complex will be given the option of:

    1. Requesting alternate workspace arrangements if assigned workstation does not meet occupant stimuli needs (e.g., too busy, loud, or quiet). If physical or organizational constraints do not permit moving stations, occupants are offered flexible working arrangements or work from home options.
    2. Day(s) of the week on which formal meetings are discouraged based on employee preference.

Employees will be given the opportunity to make many of these decisions individually with management and will have input into how to best apply these options to them.

M13: Tobacco Prevention and Cessation

Focus: to reduce the use of tobacco through interventions that prevent tobacco use and support tobacco cessation among current tobacco users.

Why it's Important:

The World Health Organization estimates that globally over 1.1 billion people smoked tobacco in 2015, and by 2025, the global prevalence of tobacco smoking will be an estimated 19%. Tobacco remains the only legal drug that can cause death when used as intended by manufacturers, is responsible globally for an estimated six million deaths per year among direct users, and serves as the cause of death for up to half of its users. In addition to those deaths caused by direct use, an estimated 890,000 annual deaths can be attributed to non-user exposure to second-hand smoke. By 2020, it is predicted that tobacco will account for 10% of all deaths worldwide, yet national comprehensive health services that fully or partially cover services to support tobacco cessation are available in only 24 countries, benefiting just 15% of the world’s population. In the workplace, employees that smoke incur greater absences, take more sick days and have higher health care costs than non-smoking employees. Additionally, 76.5 hours per year are lost in work productivity for smokers, compared to 42.8 hours for those who do not smoke, due to time taken for smoking breaks and smoking related illnesses.  Preventing initiation of tobacco use and supporting cessation among current users is critical in alleviating the significant burden of disease caused by tobacco. Combined, these strategies can play a key role in benefitting the short- and long-term health, well-being and productivity of employees.

How We Do It:

Highlands Sports Complex does not allow the sale of tobacco and e-vaping products in our facilities. Further, Highlands Sports Complex is a tobacco and e-vaping free complex. We provide educational opportunities for our regular facilities’ occupants on the health consequences of tobacco use.

M14: Substance Use Education and Services

Focus: to increase availability and access to addiction support services, resources, and care and prevent the development of substance abuse and addiction.

Why it's Important:

Alcohol and drug use contribute significantly to the global burden of premature death and disability. Harmful use of alcohol is a leading global risk factor, accounting for 3.3 million deaths per year (or 5.9% of all deaths) and 5.1% of the global burden of disease in 2014. Alcohol consumption has a causal relationship with over 200 health and injury conditions, including alcohol dependence, liver cirrhosis, cardiovascular disease, numerous cancers and intentional and unintentional injuries. Factors in the work environment such as work culture and stress increase the risk of alcohol use disorders. Within the workplace, alcohol use is a significant risk factor for absenteeism, presenteeism, accidents and employee turnover. Furthermore, it is estimated that approximately half of the overall social costs of alcohol are due to lost productivity. In addition to alcohol, illicit drug use remains a serious global public health concern: in 2013, 246 million people between 15 and 64 years of age used illicit drugs, of which one in ten suffered from a drug use disorder or dependency. Programs that seek to prevent substance abuse as well as policies that support individuals in accessing help and treatment are key strategies to help mitigate the health risks and social costs of alcohol and substance use and abuse.  

How We Do It:

Highlands Sports Complex has developed policies that forbid the use of alcohol and drugs on-site.  Employees will be provided knowledge, awareness, and resources in addressing substance use and addiction in the following areas:

 

  • Managing personal use of substances including prescriptions
    • Healthwise substance use (medical uses, etc.)
    • Avoiding dependency and addiction
    • Health and workplace effects of long- and short-term use of substances, including prescriptions
  • Educating on the use of opioids
    • Questioning use of the prescription when it is ordered
    • Using them safely and disposing of them properly and lawfully
    • How to identify dependency and possible addiction to opioids
  • Responding to peer struggles
    • Support mechanisms for co-workers in recovery
    • Actions needed in case of emergencies

M15: Opioid Emergency Response Plan

Focus: to have a plan in place and resources available in the case of an acute opioid emergency.

Why it's Important:

Drug overdose is not only the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., but it is also the leading cause of death among Americans under 50 years of age, with overdose from opioids driving the epidemic. From 1999-2014, the rate of deaths from drug overdoses in the U.S. tripled, with over half a million Americans dying due to drug overdoses between 2000-2015. Of these deaths, over 60% involved an opioid. Deaths from opioids (prescription and illicit) have more than quadrupled since 1999, with approximately 91 Americans dying every day due to opioid overdose. Globally in 2010, there were 15.5 million opioid-dependent people, with the highest prevalence found in North America, Western Europe and Australia. Overprescribing, drug misuse and overdose of opioids (including prescription) are impacting the workplace, as workplace injuries are often a gateway to opioid abuse and addiction, with 65-85% of workers receiving narcotic painkillers after a workplace injury. Roughly 21–29% of patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them, and between 8–12% develop an opioid use disorder. Often, painkillers serve as a gateway for dangerous drug use, with about 80% of people who use heroin having first misused prescription opioids. In 2007, estimates of U.S. societal costs of prescription opioid abuse were $55.7 billion, of which $25.6 billion were workplace costs driven largely by lost earnings due to premature death ($11.2 billion) and reduced compensations or lost employment ($7.9 billion). Given the rapid rise of opioid addiction and death, 2015 estimates indicate the societal cost of prescription and illicit opioid use to be as high as $504 billion, the majority of which is composed of lost earnings due to opioid-related fatality. In 2015 for European countries including France, Germany and the UK, the estimated annual incremental costs to health care from prescription opioid abuse ranged from €900 to €2551 per patient, with societal costs of prescription abuse likely to extend well beyond the health care costs.  Through emergency rescue kits and proper training, projects can provide a means of reducing the life-threatening impact of an opioid overdose in a way that is safe, cost-effective, and critically important for those at risk.  

How We Do It:

Highlands Sports Complex full-time employees have been trained on the use of naloxone rescue kits. Along with training on the appropriate use of the rescue kits all full-time employees are trained on immediate steps following administration of Naloxone, and Highlands Sports Complex provides a list of those with the training upon request. All naloxone kits will be replaced and checked for expiration dates regularly by county first responders as part of the staff’s plan for acute emergencies.

WELL Education Library

The Highlands Sports Complex is a WELL Building, certified by the International WELL Building Institute. For additional resources and information, please visit our WELL Education Library.

We provide websites to search for resources concerning human and community health as it is influenced by the built environment.

If you are interested in learning more about mental health, mental illness, dangers of substance abuse, or receive help through local mental health organizations, please visit our Mind WELL Education Library. 

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