Mental health well-being in the workplace—does that ring a “bell” for your employees? It can, if you apply for the Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health national certification program led by Mental Health America (MHA). MHA is a national nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of mental health, well-being, and illness prevention. The organization presents its State of Mental Health in America report every year which includes key findings on mental health issue prevalence and treatment access across age groups.

Bell Seal Application

Each year, the MHA opens its Bell Seal application cycle to companies across the country. Employers of all sizes and industries are welcome and encouraged to apply for the Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health, except for those who lobby or advocate for public policies that weaken the rights of employees living with mental health or substance abuse conditions.

Jeri Herman, EVP, Chief People Officer at Cengage, shared recently during a Mentera Care Chat, that Cengage had achieved Platinum status.

The online application form can take approximately one to two hours to complete, and questions may include:

• Please describe one organization-wide policy or procedure change made directly from employee feedback.
• Does the employer have a designated team or individual to identify and address mental health concerns in the workplace? Examples include a committee, workgroup, employee resource group, taskforce, wellness coordinator, wellness champion, or mental health ambassador.
• Please describe one concrete example of how leadership empowers or supports the team or individual. Support includes budget, allocated staff time, executive sponsorship, or representation.

Categories and Costs

The certification must be renewed each year, application costs range from $99 to $299 (depending on the number of full-time employees), and answers are kept confidential.

There are four categories of certification recognition:

• Platinum
• Gold
• Silver
• Bronze

Current and past companies that are/have been certified include ADT, Barilla, DFW, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Yahoo, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island. They are recognized as meeting or exceeding workplace practices and standards that promote positive worker mental health and well-being. The companies are assessed in four categories: workplace culture, benefits, compliance and wellness program.

For those companies that don’t qualify, the MHA offers resources to help the employer improve its score for the next application cycle. Benefits include panel discussion invitations, blog spotlights, speaker engagements and promotion on MHA’s website and materials. It is also a way to demonstrate to job candidates and employees your company’s commitment to their overall well-being.

The 2023 Bell Seal application cycle is currently closed but employers interested in the 2024 cycle can sign up for updates by completing this employer information form.