Research Engagements

Partnering with leadership from a network of clinics serving youth experiencing serious mental illness, One Mind Academy develops data-driven, organizational-level strategies to enhance mental health and well-being in healthcare settings. Through leadership engagement, expert consultation, and in-depth analysis of qualitative and quantitative research, as well as existing literature, we work to uncover the root causes of burnout, turnover, and other workplace challenges faced by clinical staff.

We examine key organizational risk and protective factors—such as leadership engagement, work design, and organizational culture—to drive meaningful change. Our research informs tailored workshops and expert-backed recommendations, ensuring the successful adoption of evidence-based solutions.

By fostering healthier, more supportive work environments, this initiative strengthens organizational performance and enhances the clinical staff experience—helping them stay connected to the mission, remain engaged, and deliver high-quality, evidence-based care with greater fidelity. Ultimately, this work improves both staff well-being and the quality of care provided to thousands of patients and their families.

One Mind Academy is committed to strengthening workplace mental health in higher education by addressing the unique challenges faced by faculty, staff, and students—including high workloads, resource constraints, and complex institutional dynamics.

Partnering with leaders from higher education institutions, policymakers, and key stakeholders, we foster collaboration and develop impactful solutions to create more supportive work environments. By equipping institutions with strategies to promote well-being, this initiative serves as a model for systemic change within university systems.

With long-term benefits, this project aims to build a sustainable network that enhances the well-being of higher education professionals and the broader communities they serve.

This multi-method initiative explores how mental health and well-being shape the sustainability and impact of small, mission-driven nonprofits using a socioecological lens. Through structured discussions, interactive sessions, and data analysis, we examine the interplay between individual behaviors, organizational dynamics, and broader systemic forces that influence employee well-being in these purpose-driven organizations.

Our findings reveal critical insights into how limited-resource organizations can foster cultures of mental health support while maintaining their commitment to social impact. By identifying concrete mechanisms for change and evidence-based strategies, this research provides a practical framework for funders, organizational leaders, and partners to strengthen purpose-driven teams.

At One Mind Academy, we aim to better understand and address the unique mental health challenges that founders and startup teams face. The intense demands of entrepreneurship—financial uncertainty, leadership stress, and evolving workplace expectations—can take a significant toll on well-being and business sustainability.

Our goal is to develop data-driven tools and evidence-based strategies that help founders integrate mental health best practices into their company’s foundation. By gathering insights from past cohorts, collaborating with experts, and designing scalable solutions, we seek to equip startups with the resources needed to foster resilience, engagement, and high performance.

We also plan to coordinate closely with our other programs, including One Mind at Work and the One Mind Accelerator, to create a comprehensive, cross-sector approach to workplace mental health. By embedding well-being into startup culture from the start, we aim to help founders build stronger, more sustainable companies that drive innovation, attract top talent, and support long-term success.

All people, regardless of mental health history, deserve opportunities to build meaningful careers that enable them to support themselves and their families while benefiting their communities. While many people who live with severe mental illnesses (SMI) such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder can offer significant skills and strengths to employers, only 15% of US adults with SMI are employed. With SMI afflicting around 6% of US adults, a significant portion of the US workforce finds themselves sidelined, which stymies their recoveries while depriving employers of their productivity.

One Mind is drawing on the trust it has established throughout two communities—people with mental health lived experience and employers—as well as on current evidence-based methodology to research and develop a sustainable and scalable program to address this societal issue. Called “SMI in the Workforce,” this program will leverage One Mind’s diverse capabilities and relationships to enable employers to successfully hire, retain, and develop employees living with SMI, enabling both employee and employer to flourish.