Learn / Healing The Workplace: Trailblazing Employee Wellness And Mental Health Literacy

Healing The Workplace: Trailblazing Employee Wellness And Mental Health Literacy

By 
Grace Ogren
|
 July 12th, 2024|   Clinically Reviewed by 
Dr. Malasri Chaudhery-Malgeri, Ph.D.

Key Points

  • We talked with Laura Kunz, VP of Spirence and a woman in long-term recovery.
  • Laura describes the importance of employee wellness and well-being.
  • Learn how platforms like Spirence make a difference in employee health.

Tune into our recent podcast episode with Laura Kunz, Vice President of Spirence and a woman in long-term recovery. Our hosts Dr. Malasri Chaudhery-Malgeri, Editor-in-Chief, Chief McDonald, Chief Growth Officer, and Amanda Uphoff, Chief of Staff, were delighted to discuss Laura’s experiences and the vision behind Spirence. 

Listen to this eye-opening episode here!

Combining Passion With Business Expertise 

Laura Kunz began her career in business development at behavioral health roles over 15 years ago. She’s gained extensive experience—and walked the path to recovery herself as a woman in long-term recovery. Laura’s current role is as the Vice President of Spirence and Director of External Relations at Futures Recovery Healthcare

Her personal journey with recovery has given Laura a unique passion and empathy for other men and women seeking treatment. Her various roles in business development, marketing, and personable authenticity reflect this. Laura’s also a wife and mother to two children, having lived in Ohio before moving to Southern Florida. She’s contributed articles to local news outlets, been recognized for her treatment advocacy, and founded a mental health awareness initiative, Jupiter Recovery Day. 

Finding a Solution for Employee Mental Wellness

The pandemic and the shift to virtual learning, the need for accessible mental health resources, and the ever-present need for mental health literacy prompted the beginning of Spirence. The idea, formed years ago, came into being with Laura’s help and other coworkers at Futures Recovery Healthcare. They combined decades of experience treating addiction and mental health to offer a new, subclinical product geared towards employees and their well-being. 

Laura quotes a study citing the higher-than-expected need for mental health treatment in employees, saying, “25 percent of their team meets the need for clinical care.” One percent of those need residential support. But what about the other 75%, who may need help but not clinical care or crisis intervention? Laura says,

So for that 75% of the average workforce, they are now saying, what about my mental health? They want the proactive.” … “I might eventually want counseling or need counseling, or identify something through the education that makes me understand that I could benefit from counseling, but I’m not there. So we set out to build products, subclinical, that would reach that 75%.  But also still support the 25%.” 

Education for Mental Health Literacy

Laura’s team connects Spirence members to educational presentations and seminars hosted by experts or those with lived experiences. Employees can attend short, live sessions and ask questions in real-time (anonymously). A “virtual library” contains vital resources and advice employees could normally spend hundreds of dollars on elsewhere, like in therapy. 

Spirence works with small, medium, and large businesses to deliver their content and support to a range of employees and audiences. 


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Help for Families

In addition to their other offerings and benefits, Spirence provides weekly family support sessions where family members can anonymously ask questions and learn from the experiences of others in the group. Professionals lead the live sessions, which are recorded and can be accessed anytime after. 

Goals of Spirence And Employee Mental Wellness as a Whole

Laura and her team at Spirence aim to make mental health literacy commonplace at work and home. Debunking myths, reducing stigma, and providing access to care can create a stronger workforce with healthier, happier, and more productive employees. 

Mental health literacy helps employees know what to do and when to do it if they (or a loved one) experience a mental health challenge, or anything else that affects their well-being.
Listen to our recent podcast now to learn more about the importance of employee wellbeing and Laura Kunz’s experience with addiction recovery.


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