As the school year winds down, school employees and teachers become increasingly exhausted. Contrary to the misconception that their workday ends at 3 or 4 p.m. with weekends off, their roles often extend far beyond these hours.

Unfortunately, school employees frequently neglect their own well-being. They are often preoccupied with addressing the needs of students and parents and high end-of-year demands, sidelining self-care and family care.

The well-being of school employees encompasses their physical, mental, emotional, and social health. Despite concerted efforts by school superintendents to foster a positive school climate, combating burnout remains a persistent challenge, impacting both employee retention and overall job satisfaction.

Several years after the initial school lockdowns, public school employees continue to face significant challenges. While elected officials often acknowledge these issues, they present a unique opportunity for meaningful change. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the resilience of school employees who had to adapt to distance learning. However, many have not fully recovered from This experience affected not only the employees but also their families and colleagues.

Legacy Health Endowment has partnered with Lavender, a woman-owned and operated tele-psych company, to offer free behavioral health services to school employees in the Denair, Hughson, and Keyes Unified School Districts. This pilot project provides employees free access to trained psychiatric nurse practitioners at Lavender. As seasoned behavioral health therapists, the Lavender team offers a real solution to school employees’ pressing mental health issues.

Despite estimates that around 85% of large U.S. employers offer workplace wellness programs, burnout continues to rise.

Our mission is to provide comprehensive care to school employees, supporting their health and happiness at work and home. More importantly, we aim to deliver this care at no cost. By utilizing charitable funds to develop these solutions, we can better assess how to support our communities. Starting with school employees is a crucial first step in this endeavor.

Over the remainder of the year, I will share more about our collaboration with Lavender and the impact on school employees.

— Jeffrey Lewis is the President and CEO of Legacy Health Endowment. The words expressed are his own.