Carissa Hendricks joins Georgia Southern as Employee Wellness Coordinator
Carissa Hendricks recently joined the staff in Human Resources at Georgia Southern as the University’s first-ever Employee Wellness Coordinator. In her role, she provides resources and support for faculty and staff so that they can enjoy work-life balance, overall wellness and learn about the resources available to them. Read on to learn more about Hendricks and what she hopes to accomplish in her role.
Q: Where are you from, and what brought you to Georgia Southern?
A: I'm originally from Stone Mountain, Georgia, and I received my undergraduate degree in health and community wellness at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton. I realized how much of what I was learning could relate to my life and the things that ran in my family history, like high blood pressure. That prompted me to want to continue my career in well-being. So I packed my bags and moved down to Valdosta State University, where I finished my master's in public administration. I also served under their wellness program, and from there, I applied to Georgia Southern and became the first employee wellness coordinator for the University.
Q: What exactly is a wellness coordinator?
A: An employee wellness coordinator promotes overall wellness, work-life balance and the wellness resources available for employees. I make sure that employees have an exceptional experience while they're in the workplace because we recognize that there are factors outside of work that can affect performance at work. I also want to make sure that employees come to work and feel as if they have the support they need to live a healthy life in all areas.
My role also involves serving as the liaison for Georgia Southern University as I work to promote the University System of Georgia (USG) Well-being Program. This program offers a $200 well-being credit, live virtual events, system-wide wellness challenges, and much more! I present it to our employees in a way that is easy for them to access.
Q: What are your goals for the employee wellness program?
A: A wellness committee made up of different representatives across campus was already in place before I started my role, and now I co-chair that committee with Dr. Bridget Melton. Right now, our goal is to develop our vision and mission statement. My personal goal would be to create a new culture of well-being on our campus.
Q: How do you hope to serve faculty and staff in your role?
A: I hope to interact with faculty and staff in any way that they need. Whether that is hosting virtual sessions with them or going into departments and giving presentations and walking employees through how to access the well-being portal, I hope to make myself available. If employees have suggestions or any needs that they would like to bring to me for our campus, they have the opportunity to do so.
Q: What is a wellness myth you would like to bust?
A: That your journey has to look like someone else's or that it has to be perfect. I think oftentimes people don't celebrate themselves for the small wins. Most importantly, there's not a one-size-fits-all with wellness.
Q: What are some small actions that faculty and staff can take now to improve wellness?
A: One thing is taking breaks throughout the day. If you’re at your computer, it's OK to get up and take a walk around the office. While there are some positions that don't allow that, I think even having a mindful moment throughout the day to just pause and focus on your breathing, or focus on something positive that you enjoy can really make a difference.
Q: Why would you encourage faculty and staff to participate in the wellness program?
A: The first reason would be for their overall well-being and health because we recognize that stress in and outside of the workplace can be overwhelming at times. The wellness program will give employees the time they need to focus on all aspects of well-being which can include physical, emotional, social, financial and more.
If you’re on a health care plan, the USG offers a monetary well-being credit for completing healthy activities. As individuals complete those healthy activities on the platform, they can earn money back in their paycheck.
Q: What are some upcoming events or opportunities faculty and staff have to participate in the employee wellness program?
A: In the next few weeks, we will have a biometric screening and flu shot clinic on both the Armstrong and Statesboro campuses. Employees can earn $50 towards their 2022 Well-being credit for participating! On the Armstrong Campus, it will be Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Armstrong Center Ballroom. On the Statesboro Campus, it will be Nov. 3 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Nessmith-Lane Center. Registration for these events will open soon in the USG Well-being platform.
Additionally, we have some fun events scheduled to kick off in October so I highly recommend joining our new Employee Wellness Google Group. This group receives bi-weekly newsletters to stay up to date with all things wellness at Georgia Southern! Link to join: https://forms.gle/NubdJvoMw1tPpVTV6.
Posted in My News, Staff, You May Have Heard