LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — The Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution is taking steps to support the well-being of its staff and their families with a new initiative focused on health and wellness.
The prison recently hosted its first Staff Wellness Symposium, bringing together more than 20 local vendors to provide information on programs aimed at improving mental, financial and emotional wellness. The event also featured speakers who offered deeper insight into those topics and encouraged staff members to take advantage of available community resources.
“Being in this type of environment can put a really a huge toll, not only on yourself but your family. So, we've offered these resources, not only to the correctional staff, but to their families as well. We're hopeful that by offering opportunities that are within the communities, it gives them a roundabout w ay that they do have successful ways to handle the stress and the stress management that they deal with every single day working with the incarcerated individuals,” says Amy Ford, Human Resources Director, AOCI.
“Understand that there's resources available to them if they're going through, for example, things in their life where they may need some sort of assistance. That's what we want to bring them in and introduce them to those peoples allow them to have those resources so we can continue to take care of our staff,” says Jack Brown, Deputy Warden of Operati0ns, AOCI.
Officials say they hope to make the Staff Wellness Symposium a regular event moving forward.
