Like other Head Start activities, thoughtful planning helps programs develop the most effective staff wellness services. Planning should consider both individual staff wellness and organizational wellness, which helps set up and value a culture of wellness in all parts of the organization.

Tips and Strategies for Staff Wellness Planning

The Staff Wellness Action Plan (SWAP) is a template to help you plan staff wellness activities. Use these strategies to complete the plan:

Identifying the Team

• List the people responsible for your program’s staff wellness planning. Who is on the team, and the expectations for your role, will depend on the program’s characteristics, resources, and infrastructure.
• Consider a wide range of people when you choose internal team members, such as teachers, home visitors, family services staff, administrative staff, leaders, and families.
• Include external partners that can support staff wellness efforts, such as community partners, Health and Mental Health Services Advisory Committee members, and consultants. External partners may have community data, resources, or their own staff wellness activities that they can share with your program.

Collecting Data

• Collect data on staff wellness, including staff needs, what they want for their wellness, and the SDOH that may contribute to poor health outcomes.
• Know that all staff may not have the same needs or ideas related to staff wellness.
• Choose ways to collect data that will work best for the program. These can include focus groups, listening sessions, surveys, and polls.
• Consider a pre-survey and post-survey about job satisfaction, work–life balance, adult resilience, or potential risks for burnout.

Creating Staff Wellness Goals

• Set staff wellness goals based on the data you have collected.
• Break down long-term goals into shorter-term objectives.
• Write objectives that are SMARTIE: specific, measurable, actionable, realistic/relevant, time-bound, inclusive, and equitable.
• Be realistic. Consider program resources and set priorities.
• List the results you’ll measure that will tell you if your staff wellness efforts were successful.

Putting Ideas into Action

• List action steps for each objective that should lead to success.
• Name who will lead the work, who can support the work, and resources needed.
• Set a timeline for the action steps.
• Watch the progress and make corrections as needed.
• Remember that even if all your staff wellness efforts are not successful, you have learned through this process and can be well informed for the next round of planning with the team!

Last Updated: January 15, 2025