After the loss of her husband, Bunmi Oloke, along with her two young sons, made the decision to leave their homeland of Nigeria and seek asylum in the United States in December 2018. Overwhelmed by grief and grappling with the weight of her new reality, Bunmi found herself confronting not only the challenges of adapting to a foreign land but also the formidable task of preserving her mental well-being.

As part of our One Goodwill Strategic Plan, launched in 2022, Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana developed a number of initiatives aimed at improving the mental health support provided to the people we employ, educate and serve. One of these initiatives included hiring a Mental Health Strategist, an entirely new role created to support the organization as we sought to create a culture that removes the stigma surrounding mental health. 

Learn more about Sarah Ash, Goodwill’s Mental Health Strategist, and how she envisions making an impact in her new role.

Tell us about your background and experience in the mental health care field.

I am a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and have worked in settings such as schools, child welfare, health care, emergency services and private practice therapy. Depending on the role, my support of individuals’ mental health may have looked like barrier removal (much like Goodwill’s mission and life coaches offer to Goodwill employees and graduates), legal advocacy or traditional talk therapy. Fortunately, this sort of varied experience gave me a tremendous amount of insight into the way we approach “care” for others and how much more creative and expansive our care can be!

Describe your current role at Goodwill.

Currently, I serve as Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana’s Mental Health Strategist. This role was created in alignment with the Strategic Plan, which has a strategic objective dedicated to supporting the mental health of the individuals Goodwill employs, educates and serves. So far, this has looked like forming relationships across the organization to understand the unique challenges different areas face before partnering with them to develop ways to address those challenges. It has been exciting to think through the nuanced support we can implement in such a broad and diverse organization.

What are some of the challenges employers are grappling with in terms of mental health in the workplace?

The World Health Organization defines mental health as, “a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well and contribute to their community.” Even if we can all more or less agree on what mental health is, what we each need as individuals to achieve it can be vastly different! For employers, this can be a really challenging reality to navigate because it means that each employee needs something unique. So attempting to build something that is both equitable and adaptable is very difficult, but important work. 

How is Goodwill responding to these challenges?

As we enter the month of May, Goodwill wants to take a moment to highlight the significance of Mental Health Awareness Month and why it’s important to us.

“When I was first diagnosed with unspecified psychosis, I didn’t want to believe it,” Michaelae Cotton said. “Many times…those with this diagnosis are described as ‘crazy.’ I was embarrassed and felt ashamed. It wasn’t until I found safe spaces that I began to embark on a journey of victory. My nurse came into my life at the perfect time.”

Last year was a big year for Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana as we educated, employed and served more individuals than ever before. Since launching our new Strategic Plan two years ago, we’ve made significant progress on our objectives and goals.

World Mental Health Day is a reminder to us all to intentionally pause and reflect on the importance of nurturing our emotional well-being. In our busy lives, it can be easy to overlook and even deprioritize our own needs. Over time, this lack of self care can manifest as increased irritability, fatigue, anxiety, depression or even burnout. Today, take a moment to reflect on how you can prioritize your mental health through mindfulness practices, connection to others and accessing therapy. 

Indianapolis Metropolitan High School is Goodwill’s best-fit school for grades 9-12, supporting teenaged students experiencing barriers to education and ensuring graduates can either enter college or the workforce. These outcomes are met through a number of wraparound services Indy Met offers for its student population, including transportation, child care and family empowerment coaching.

As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close, Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana is reflecting on the progress we’ve made as an organization in supporting our employees through their mental health struggles, while removing the stigma surrounding mental illness. However, we also recognize that challenges remain to ensuring quality and affordable mental health care is available to all, and we’re taking steps to provide all of our employees with adequate mental health support.