Resources

The wellness resources listed below are provided to give you the data, guidance, and evidence-based examples for developing, implementing and expanding your agency wellness program. New resources will be added as they become available. If you do not find the resource you need listed here, contact the Worksite Wellness Texas Team for help.

Worksite Wellness Data and Evidence

• Obesity in (Corporate) America: Large Employer Concerns and Strategies of Response. Private Sector Responses to Overweight and Obesity. North Carolina Medical Journal
• Presenteeism – The Big Deal About Not Being Fully Present. Many workers and even some managers assume that showing up at work is important to get the job done. But work results are always changing, and many employees do little or no work on some workdays each year. Risk & Insurance Magazine

Resources for Developing a Wellness Plan

• DSHS Wellness Program Activity Interest Survey – Sample Survey
• Manual for Developing a Worksite Wellness Plan. Guide and basic starting point for creating an employee wellness plan. This document contains an outline to help look into, plan, and complete programs, policies, and helpful changes within the work setting.
• Developing an Organizational Employee Wellness Plan – Sample Outline. This outline is intended to be a starting point to guide state agencies in creating their own wellness plan. The outline talks about things to consider, but each agency will need to add additional information about what will be a good activity for the agency.
• CDC Workplace Health Strategies

Sample Wellness Policies

• Department of State Health Services Tobacco-Free Campus Policy
• Texas Education Agency Wellness Policies
• Office of the Comptroller of Public Accounts Wellness Policy
• Board of Nursing Wellness Policy
• Board of Nursing Exercise Policy

Funding Opportunities

It is rare to find organizations that want to provide funds for your program. Usually, a worksite must build a list of organizations that usually fund worksite programs and keep track of their activities. A worker may be assigned to build a list of organizations and keep track of activities to make sure those organizations are found as soon as possible.

Or, a worksite may create an invitation for organizations to get involved in their wellness activities,. Worksites provide contact to adult populations, which can begin activities in different locations, for all kinds of people that may have different kinds of health problems.

The following sites offer information on searching for funding:

• Grant Learning Center
• Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation – Apply for funding

The following resources are helpful for learning more about evaluating worksite wellness programs:

• The CDC's introduction and guide to evaluating worksite wellness interventions
• Wellness Council of America- Worksite Wellness Program Evaluation Best Practices
• CDC resources for additional evaluation topics

2019 Statewide Wellness Conference

On September 5, over 100 state agency wellness staff, presenters and speakers gathered for the 2019 State Agency Wellness Conference at the Commons Learning Center on the University of Texas at Austin J.J. Pickle Research Campus. The theme this year was “Working Well in Texas” and aimed to explore an array of resources and strategies for bringing wellness to the worksite in pragmatic, impactful ways. The event was hosted by the Texas Department of State Health Services and Texas Public Health Association and was sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Gold’s Gym, Airrosti, Naturally Slim, AAA, and Texas Agrilife Extension.

Below is a list of the sessions featured at the 2019 conference. To access the slides presented at each session, click on the session title. For information on each session and the opening speakers, please review the conference packet.

• Opening Remarks – Lesley Jimenez, MA, MPH, Statewide Wellness Coordinator, Texas Department of State Health Services Porter Wilson, Executive Director, Employees Retirement System of Texas Stephen Pont, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Office of Science and Population Health, Texas Department of State Health Services
• Keynote Address – Baker Harrell, PhD, Founder, It’s Time Texas

Concurrent Session 1

1. Why Oh Why Did They Do That? Keys to Motivation and Behavior Change, and How To Maximize Engagement
Mark Zollitsch, M.Ed., Wellness Consultant, Health and Benefits Services, Texas Association of Counties
2. Wellness Inspired
Angie Lederer, Wellness Consultant ERS, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas
3. Mental Illness: Getting Past the Stigma
Dana Haulotte, SHRM-CP, PHR, Senior Human Resources Generalist, Texas Legislative Council

Concurrent Session 2

1. Creating a Wellness Presence
Arlin Alvarez, M.Ed., SHRM-CP and Gina Akin, Wellness Program Administrators, Texas Department of Transportation
2. Re-energize the Workplace with Exercise
Michael Harper, M.Ed., Fitness Wellness Training Supervisor, Texas Department of Public Safety
3. Incentive for Wellness: A Cost-Effective Approach
Dana Haulotte, SHRM-CP, PHR, Senior Human Resources Generalist, Texas Legislative Council

Concurrent Session 3

1. Making a Case for Wellness
Lacy Wolff, MS, ACSM-CEP, NSCA-CSCS, Health Promotion Administrator, Employees Retirement System of Texas
2. Building Resiliency and Coping with Change
Alexis Schminke, Certified Holistic Nutritionist, Fitness Specialist, Texas Department of Public Safety
3. Culture & Wellness Assessments
Mary Martha Murphy, Staff Attorney, State Board of Pharmacy; Renatta Kost, Wellness Administrator, Department of Family and Protective Services; Sossity Fair, MPH, Wellness Strategist, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas

Concurrent Session 4

1. Staying Alive! What Wellness Programs Need to Survive and Thrive
Rocky Payne, MA, Obesity Prevention Program Coordinator, Texas Department of State Health Services
2. Getting Off to the Right Start with the Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite Program
Julie Stagg, MSN, RN, IBCLC, RLC, Healthy Texas Mothers and Babies Branch Manager, State Breastfeeding Coordinator, Texas Department of State Health Services
3. How to Build a Successful Wellness Fair
Jewell Smith, Wellness and Agency Programs Coordinator, Office of the Attorney General

For additional questions related to the conference, please email the DSHS Work Well Texas Team at Wellness@dshs.texas.gov.