Useful Links

State Worksite Wellness Programs

State of Alaska Health & Social Services - Worksite Health & Productivity Promotion project
Alaska's Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion's Worksite Health and Productivity Promotion project offers materials and training opportunities to help small businesses implement worksite health programs. Their web site provides information about the benefits of worksite health programs, and the following materials: Supporting Healthy Practices at Work; an Employee Interest Survey; and Take Heart Alaska - Promoting Health at Work: A Resource Guide.

Arizona Department of Health Services - Healthy Arizona Worksites
Healthy Arizona Worksites provides information and tools to help businesses in Arizona have healthier worksites and healthier employees. Resources include an eight step process for developing, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive worksite program; a worksite assessment tool to help assess the current worksite environment and identify actions to implement; and a resource guide to help worksites access resources for their program.

Healthy Arkansas for a Better State of Health
Healthy Arkansas provides a Worksite Wellness Guide with information on how to get a worksite wellness program started, and a Worksite Wellness Tool Kit with useful tools and ideas (nutrition, physical activity, walking trails, cessation) for a worksite wellness program.

California Department of Health Services' Network for a Healthy California Worksite Program
The Worksite Program has developed the California Fit Business Kit to help employers develop and implement a culture and environment that supports healthy eating and physical activity among workers. Included in the Kit are: healthy meeting policies, vending machine food and beverage standards, healthy dining menu guidelines, a guide to establishing a worksite farmers' market, a guide to creating worksite walking clubs, and more.

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has developed a Worksite Resource Kit that helps worksites choose and implement activities at low or no cost, with little maintenance, and without requiring extensive staff time.

Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services
The Good Work! Resource Kit is provided by Maine's Cardiovascular Health Program to provide employers with information on the link between a healthy worksite and the bottom line, key elements of successful worksite programs, specific low or no-cost strategies, and resources to support worksite wellness initiatives.

Michigan Department of Community Health
The Michigan Department of Health provides the following worksite wellness resources: Michigan's Healthy Workplaces Resource Guide, a Stroke and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Screening Form, stories from worksite wellness programs around Michigan (Worksite Wellness Chronicles), and other resources to support worksite wellness programs.

Minnesota Department of Health - Healthy Minnesota Workplace Initiative
The Healthy Minnesota Workplace Initiative provides a Workplace Wellness Toolkit and a web site with tools to help worksites implement wellness programs.

New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Worksite Wellness
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services has created a Worksite Wellness Toolkit that includes the benefits of worksite health promotion programs for worksites and employees, ideas for wellness activities, and more.

New York State Department of Health Worksite Wellness
New York State Department of Health provides worksite wellness web pages that offer tools and resources for enhancing physical activity and nutrition and decreasing tobacco-use at the worksite. Resources include: Why worksite wellness is important, and how to plan, implement, and evaluate a worksite wellness program.

North Carolina State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees
The North Carolina State Health Plan provides a NC HealthSmart Worksite Wellness Toolkit that includes posters, "how to get started" tips, employee materials and much more. The Worksite Wellness web site also includes presentations, brochures and data that can help an agency organize and sustain a wellness program.

North Dakota - Building a Healthy North Dakota
Healthy North Dakota offers information and links for employers searching to improve health at their worksite, and Healthy North Dakota consultants that can help employers plan worksite wellness programs.

Oklahoma State Department of Health
The Oklahoma State Department of Health's web site provides information about low-cost activities companies can implement to encourage and promote good health.

State of Oregon - Oregon Healthy Worksites
The Oregon Healthy Worksites web site provides a Worksite Assessment and Toolkit, and a Healthy Worksites Employee Assessment.

Pennsylvania Department of Health
Pennsylvania Department of Health provides a PowerPoint presentation about worksite wellness and a worksite wellness resource list on their web page.

Rhode Island Department of Health - Worksite Wellness
The Rhode Island Department of Health's Worksite Wellness provides tools to make the argument for a wellness program; to start a wellness program; to assess how healthy your worksite is; to determine what types of programs employees wants; to help make policy and environmental changes; to evaluate wellness programs, and other pertinent worksite wellness resources.

Healthy South Dakota
Healthy south Dakota has the following worksite wellness resources available on their web pages: a survey to assess how your current worksite rates at promoting healthy living; a survey to help to improve worksite and employee health; a guide that includes steps to start a wellness program, "Strides to a Healthier Worksite"; an employee interest survey; a toolkit containing information on organizing wellness challenges in the workplace; a kit that promotes the use of stairs with posters; and free on-site technical assistance.

Texas Department of State Health Services
The Texas Department of State Health Services provides a Worksite Wellness Toolkit, Worksite Wellness Index, Wellness Program Guide Books for Physical Activity and Nutrition, and other resources to help employers reduce their costs and implement a worksite wellness program.

Tompkins County (NY) Health Department Worksite Wellness
The Health Promotion Program, Tompkins County (NY) Health Department, developed and maintains web pages related to worksite wellness. Resouces include: steps for starting a program, how to have healthy meetings, an employee interest survey, tips on writing objectives, and more.

Utah Council for Worksite Health Promotion
The Utah Council for Worksite Health Promotion provides an annual worksite health promotion conference, a worksite awards program, resources for implementing wellness programs, and links to the best worksite wellness web sites.

Vermont Department of Health's Fit and Healthy Vermonters
The Vermont Department of Health's Worksite Wellness Resource is a step-by-step guide to help worksite wellness programs be successful. It is available on their web site, as well as fact sheets about worksite wellness and resources to other related programs and services.

Washington State Department of Health
Washington's Department of Health provides a Worksite Wellness Resource Kit and works with employers to change organizational and corporate cultures so that employees can be more physically active at work and have healthier food choices.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services Worksite Wellness
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has created a Worksite Wellness Resource Kit that assists worksites with implementing strategies that have been proven effective.

Wyoming Department of Health Worksite Wellness
The Wyoming Department of Health's web pages contain presentations from Wyoming's First Ever Worksite Wellness Summit that took place in October 2008, as well as a report from 2006 of Wyoming's Best Practices in Worksite Wellness.

National Health-Related Organizations

Action for Healthy Kids
Action for Healthy Kids is the only nonprofit organization formed specifically to address the epidemic of overweight, undernourished and sedentary youth by focusing on changes at school. Action for Healthy Kids has launced a campaign for school wellness to assist schools, parents, and communities in effectively implementing, tracking, and strengthening their wellness policies and practices.

Alliance for a Healthier Generation
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation is a partnership between the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation. The goal of the Alliance is to stop the nationwide increase in childhood obesity by 2010 and to empower kids nationwide to make healthy lifestyle choices. The Alliance will positively affect the places that can make a difference to a child's health: home, schools, restaurants, doctor's offices, and the community.

American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) promotes and supports healthy lifestyles through high quality programs in health, physical education, recreation, dance, and sport, and provides members with professional development opportunities that increase knowledge, improve skills, and encourage sound professional practices. AAHPERD addresses the public with consumer health news and links to their centers for public affairs and legislative action.

American School Health Association
The American School Health Association (ASHA) is a multidisciplinary organization of school health professionals that protects and promotes the health, well-being and success of children and youth through coordinated school health programs. ASHA helps address the health needs of young people by offering technical assistance, developing tools and supporting collaborative activities on a variety of topics, and it supports advocacy coalitions by providing legislative network and other resources.

Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) is the national nonprofit organization representing the state and territorial public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. Territories and the District of Columbia. ASTHO's members, the chief health officials of these jurisdictions, are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound public health policy, and to assuring excellence in state-based public health practice.

Council of Chief State School Officers
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. The Council seeks member consensus on major educational issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public.

ETR Associates
ETR Associates is a private, non-profit corporation. Its mission is to enhance the well-being of individuals, families and communities by providing leadership, educational resources, training and research in health promotion with an emphasis on sexuality and health education. ETR Associates is committed to helping children, young people and adults and their families and communities develop attitudes and behaviors that contribute to optimal health and well-being.

National Association for Health and Fitness
The National Association for Health and Fitness (NAHF) promotes physical fitness, sports, and healthy lifestyles and supports Governor?s and State Councils on Physical Fitness and Sport in every state. NAHF sponsors National Employee Health and Fitness Day; Let's Get Physical, a national fitness challenge; and the Make Your Move! incentive-based, worksite health promotion campaign.

National Association of Chronic Disease Directors
That National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) is a national public health association, founded in 1988 to link the chronic disease program directors of each state and U.S. territory to provide a national forum for chronic disease prevention and control efforts.

National Association of School Nurses
The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) improves the health and educational success of children and youth by developing and providing leadership to advance school nursing practice. NASN represents school nurses on national and federal committees that affect health services to children, supplies written and oral testimony to Congress about school health services on request, and advises members of federal legislation affecting school health services.

National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE)
The National Association of State Boards of Education is the only national organization giving voice and adding value to the nation's State Boards of Education. A non-profit organization founded in 1958, NASBE works to strengthen state leadership in educational policymaking, promote excellence in the education of all students, advocate equality of access to educational opportunity, and assure continued citizen support for public education.

National Education Association Health Information Network
The National Education Association Health Information Network (NEA-HIN) Mental Wellness program collaborates with national mental health organizations and programs to provide school employees with information, education, and training about timely mental health topics. The NEA-HIN website links to a number of tools that address school employee mental health issues, including stress, depression, violence and conflict, dealing with loss and trauma, and building resiliency.

National School Boards Association
The National School Boards Association (NSBA) fosters excellence and equity in public education by representing school boards before federal government agencies and with national organizations that affect education, and by providing vital information and services to state associations of school boards and local school boards throughout the nation. The NSBA website offers resources regarding school law and school board policies, and links to their legislation action center and technology leadership network.

National Wellness Institute
The National Wellness Institute provides health promotion and wellness professionals resources and services that promote both professional and personal growth. It also sponsors the National Wellness Conference held annually in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, at the University of Wisconsin.

Partnership for Prevention
Partnership for Prevention is a national membership organization dedicated to building evidence of sound disease prevention and health promotion policies and practices and advocating their adoption by public and private sectors.

Society of State Directors of Health, Physical Education and Recreation
The Society of State Directors of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (SSDHPER) helps shape national and state policy defining comprehensive school health, physical education, and recreation programs by promoting linkages within school, family, and community; between state health, physical education, and recreation leaders; and between school districts and postsecondary institutions. SSDHPE also provides training, workshops, and conferences for professional growth and the development of leadership and advocacy skills.

WebMD Health Services
WebMD Health Services offers tools and strategies for employee health cost management to help companies of all sizes in many industries, including education, to reduce health care spending and improve productivity.

Wellness Councils of America
The Wellness Councils of America provides an overview of worksite wellness, offers free and for-sale resources, and links to other worksite wellness resources.

Government Agencies

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website provides access to research data, guidelines, and implementation resources. The Healthier Worksite Initiative is for planners of workforce health promotion programs at the state and local level, as well as non-government workplaces. The site features planning information, policy examples, toolkits, and other quick resources to asset wellness planners in developing programs that foster healthy lifestyles among their employees. The Division of Adolescent and School Health site targets school health issues. CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) site provides information and links to resources that address preventing workplace injury and illness. The Community Guide is a resource for evidence-based Task Force recommendations and findings about what works to improve public health, and includes the topic of worksite health promotion.

National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) website provides links to health resources, health hotlines, MEDLINEplus, and drug information. Reports on results of NIH-sponsored studies are posted on the site, and printed reports can be ordered through the site.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Healthy School Environments web page links facility managers, school administrators, architects, design engineers, school nurses, parents, teachers, and staff to sites and materials addressing environmental health issues in schools.

Voluntary Health Organizations

American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization. The goal of the American Cancer Society is to prevent cancer, save lives, and diminish suffering from cancer. The society supports cancer research with fundraising activities, assists public involvement in local legislative advocacy, and promotes a healthy lifestyle by offering a multitude of resources for good nutrition, physical exercise, and smoking cessation.

American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association is the nation's leading nonprofit health organization providing diabetes research, information, and advocacy. The mission of the Association is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. To fulfill this mission the American Diabetes Association funds research, published scientific findings, provides information and other services to people with diabetes, their families, health professionals and the public.

American Heart Association
Heart at Work is the American Heart Association's online health promotion program. It includes awareness, education, and behavior change activities. Each activity contains the tools needed for implementation, including step-by-step guidelines for conducting events, challenges, assessments, quizzes, and seminars.

American Lung Association
The American Lung Association is the oldest voluntary health organization in the United States. Their mission is to prevent lung disease and promote health. The American Lung Association has many programs and strategies for fighting lung disease. Among these are programs that address asthma, tobacco control, environmental health, research and professional education, advocacy, multicultural health, and communication. The website links to a number of tools that facilitate disease information and treatment decisions, as well as involvement in fundraising and advocacy for better air quality policies.

American Red Cross
The American Red Cross offers workplace training programs on topics such as Ergonomics; Slips, Trips and Falls; Back Injury Prevention; Workplace Violence Awareness; Blood-Borne Pathogens; and First Aid, Adult CPR/AED. Some chapters provide training to one or more members of a school or district staff so that the school or district can build its own training team to provide health and safety courses to employees.