Employee Wellness, Monthly Awareness & Resources
Wellness is...
an active process through which you become aware of, and make choices towards, a more balanced life
a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving your full potential
a multi-dimensional and whole-self lifestyle
positive and self-affirming
Wellness encompasses 8 mutually interdependent dimensions: physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, occupational, financial, and environmental.
Physical Wellness involves moving your body, eating healthy, good sleeping habits, managing your stress, and keeping your preventative medical and dental appointments.
Intellectual Wellness is lifetime learning, staying curious, learning new hobbies, being creative, reading, listening to educational podcasts and joining clubs that focus on engaging in intellectual interests.
Emotional Wellness is maintaining a healthy emotional well being, continuously finding ways to manage your stress, asking for help when you need it, taking care of your mental health by seeing a counselor or therapist, getting enough sleep and finding ways to be calm and relaxed.
Social Wellness involves having a support strong social network around you, surrounding yourself with people who provide you love, laughter, compassion and motivation.
Spiritual Wellness is the process of understanding beliefs, values and ethical that help guide you in a wonderful fulfilling life.
Occupational Wellness is recognizing the importance and satisfaction in your work, being enriched by what you do and having a passion for it.
Financial Wellness taking the steps to live within your financial means, planning for the future, learning good money management and sticking to a budget.
Environmental Wellness is taking care of your surroundings, de-cluttering, cleaning up, recycling, removing trash and organizing.
Buffalo City School District
In June 2017, the Buffalo Board of Education approved the District Wellness Policy. The District recognizes that in order to achieve student wellness, well-being and academic success employee wellness must also be stressed, emphasizing the importance of creating a District-wide workplace culture that supports employee health and wellness.
Resources for your 8 Dimensions of Wellness
Lifelong Learning from the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
Classes and workshops at the Botanical Gardens
Buffalo Book Clubs by Buffalo & Erie County Libraries
Mental Health America Stress Screener
How to lower cortisol: 10 ways to naturally reduce stress
12 relaxation ideas to reduce stress and anxiety
7 types of rest that can help you to feel fully renewed
National Fund for Workforce Solutions Guide to Financial Wellness
Consumer Finance Financial Well Being User Guide
25 Tips to improve your financial well-being by Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Monthly Awareness
Additional Tools & Resources
Resources for Crisis Services & Text Helpline
Contact information for Crisis Services for Buffalo and Erie County provide services for those who are in a state of emotional crisis.
24 Hour Crisis Services Hotline - Call: 716-834-3131 or Text: 716-300-2338 (Text line available 6 PM-11 PM Monday - Friday)
24 Hour Addiction Hotline - Call: 716-831-7007
211 WNY - Free & Confidential link to health and human services - 24/7 access. Call: 211 or visit www.211wny.org
Erie County Warmline (Peer-provided support for non-crisis calls) Call: 716-248-2941 or Text: 716-392-22221 (Daily 4pm - 11pm)
Spectrum CARES Team - Call: 716-882-4357
Kids' Helpline - Local: 716-834-1144 or National: 1-877-KIDS-400
Youth Advocate Programs Inc. (YAP) - 716-277-5090 or visit YAPinc.org
Suicide and Crisis Lifeline - Dial: 988
NYS State Domestic Violence & Sexual Violence Hotline - Call: 1-800-942-9606 or Text: -844-977-2121
Chautaugua County Hotline - Call: 1-800-724-0461
Niagara County Crisis Hotline - 716-285-3515
NYS Office of Mental Health Webpage
Crisis & Domestic Violence Shelters
Child and Family Services
Phone: (716) 335-7191
https://cfsbny.org/
Services available: Counseling, foster care, domestic violence help, family support services, conflict resolution, residential services, special education, and employee assistance programs.
Haven House (Domestic Violence)
Phone: (716) 884-6000
https://cfsbny.org/our-services/domestic-violence/
Services available: Domestic violence shelter is still fully operational and accepting new clients. All domestic violence counseling and advocacy are available remotely.
International Institute of Buffalo (Domestic Violence & Human Trafficking)
Phone: (716) 222-3890
www.iibuffalo.org
Services available: All advocacy services are available remotely. New number provided above to reach out for advocacy services.
New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence
Phone: (800) 942-6906
Text: (844) 997-2121
www.opdv.ny.gov
Services available: Chat services are available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. They are secure and private, staffed by professionals who can help.
Shelter & Food Resources
211 Afterhours Homeless Program
Phone: 211
http://www.211wny.org/provider/8811/
Services available: Serves as the afterhours for the Erie County Department of Social Services for emergency housing placement. Assesses callers with an emergency housing need to determine if their situation is be eligible for emergency shelter placement provided by the County. If eligible, provides placement.
Code-19 Shelter at ECC Flickenger Center
Phone: 211
Located at: 21 Oak Street, Buffalo, NY 14203
Services available: Walk in shelter open to anyone who needs a safe place to stay.
Compass House
Phone: 716-884-3066
https://www.compasshouse.org/
Services available: Emergency shelter (24 hours a day, seven days a week) for youth (ages 12-17) who have run away and are unhoused. There's a resource center that provides free services for unhoused (or at risk of being unhoused) youth (ages 14-24). The services include but aren't limited to, personal care, food, and case management, along with individual, group, and family counseling.
Cornerstone Manor
Phone: (716) 854-8181 x100
https://www.buffalocitymission.org/womens-ministries
Services available: Emergency shelter and showers, health and wellness, clean clothing and laundry services, chaplaincy, case management and referrals
Gerard Place
Phone: (716) 897-9948
www.gerardplace.org
Services available: Housing for single parents.
Matt Urban Hope House
Phone: (716) 893-7222 x327
http://urbanctr.org/hope-services/hope-house
Services available: Emergency shelter for women and children
Friends of the Night People
Phone: (716) 884-5375
www.friendsofnightpeople.com
Services available: Food pantry and necessities
FeedMore WNY
Phone: (716) 822-2002
https://www.feedmorewny.org/
Services available: Meal services, nutrition education, nutrition assistance, find food services, workforce training, and farm market
Feed Buffalo
Phone: (716) 588-0137
https://www.feedbuffalo.org/
Services available: Healthy and Halal food pantry. Works to provide access to free, locally sourced food in a loving, judgment-free community space.
West Side Community Services
Phone: (716) 884-6616
http://wscsbuffalo.org/
Services available: Food pantry (Provisions 139, summer programs, community events, and substance use and violence prevention)
Buffalo City Mission
Phone: (716) 854-8181
https://www.buffalocitymission.org/
Services available: Hot meals, legal, men's/ women's ministries, veteran resources, housing services, community health resources, and food pantry