Connection is a Powerful Form of Care
We’ve spent the first three weeks of May examining the amazing work our clients do, so for week four of Mental Health Awareness Month, where SAMHSA's theme is Connection is a Powerful Form of Care, we’re going to be a bit more introspective. We’re circling back to the nest with an eye on how we take care of each other inside our office here at Mighty Crow.
In 2022, two members of the Mighty Crow team, Jake Hammond and Michael Kocinski, attended the Well Workplace Summit hosted by The Wellness Collective here in Columbus. They came back with notes, ideas, and a simple question: “What would it look like to formalize the culture of care that already exists at Mighty Crow?” Along with help from our CEO Gretchen Hammond, they built a company-wide wellness program grounded in a simple idea: people need three things — purpose, variety, and autonomy. This principle has shaped our strengths-based, trauma-informed wellness program built specifically for our team members who have unique backgrounds and lived experiences. Our program includes company policies, educational elements, formal feedback opportunities including an annual survey created by our very own Dr. Rebecca McCloskey (we are evaluators, after all), and bonding experiences that tie the team together.
Most of what connection looks like at Mighty Crow is small. We celebrate each other's personal and professional milestones, we share meals, and we enjoy being around each other because the work is important, and our goals and values are shared. Two questions show up in nearly every team meeting: “What do you need?” and “What can I do for you?” They sound obvious, but they aren’t asked in every workplace. When asked consistently, they create a culture where people know they have a team behind them to lend a hand.
At the core of our wellness program is a flexible 32-hour work week. A simple act of trust between the company and its people. It reduces the stress of scheduling a doctor's appointment, caring for a family member, recovering from a hard day, or simply finding time to rest. It demonstrates that we believe our team will meet their commitments to clients and to one another without having to sit at a desk and fill time. Trust is connection, too. It is Mighty Crow telling our people: we see your whole life, not just your work.
Earlier this month we announced that we earned the 2026 Silver Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health from Mental Health America. It’s awarded to employers that build psychologically safer and more supportive environments for their teams. While we're proud to earn this designation, the recognition itself isn't the story. Instead, we’re focused on what it represents: a workplace where people do hard, necessary work, and then come back, take a breath, and feel supported by their team. We’re similarly proud to hold an Ohio Recovery-Friendly Workplace designation. This signals the same belief: that people do their best work, and live their best lives, in a workplace that treats them as whole. Purpose, variety and autonomy.
We’re closing Mental Health Awareness Month looking at ourselves, because we cannot help others to build connected, caring environments if we do not build one of our own. Connection is a powerful form of care. That connection shows up internally as assistance, trust and camaraderie among our team. It shows up externally as recognition for the culture we have created. And it also shows up in the work we do with so many clients that are in the business of helping others.
Thanks for spending Mental Health Awareness Month with us. We appreciate the opportunity to highlight what we do within this month, but we also know that the work must continue all year.
