The state of mental well-being among Americans remains an area of concern as over 61 million adults (PDF) reported experiencing any mental illness in the last year as of 2024. Mental health is also top of mind for the vast majority of local leaders; 95% of mayors named mental health as an issue (PDF) that they are extremely or moderately concerned about in NLC’s 2025 State of the Cities report.
Given that the average employed adult in the US spends over half of their waking time working and poor working conditions pose a risk to mental health, the workplace represents a critical environment for the mental health of many Americans. Issues with mental health can affect the ability of a person to perform work duties to their full potential, cause absenteeism or even prevent them from getting a job. 81 percent of workers report that they actively search for mentally healthy workplaces.
Employers and the U.S. economy also suffer due to unresolved challenges with mental health. The American Psychiatric Association estimates a loss of nearly $211 billion annually due to lower productivity, medical costs and people missing work. Cities can work to not only establish mentally healthy workplaces, but also to serve as models of strong workplace policies and practices to influence other employers in their region.
No two cities, towns and villages are the same, and each municipality can invest in the mental well-being of their employees in ways that meet their workforce’s unique needs. For example, a staggering 122 million Americans (PDF) live in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) of mental health providers and many of those residents live in rural communities. To address this challenge, rural cities can invest in expanding access to telehealth services so that residents can access mental health providers virtually, while cities can work to address the shortage of mental health providers. Some rural cities have also explored the ways that art improves their residents’ mental health. In contrast, an urban city that may have more providers might focus instead on ensuring the availability and accessibility of those providers.
How City Leaders Can Support Municipal Staff Mental Health
1. Prioritize Becoming a Mentally Healthy Workplace
- Cities can access resources such as this Mental Health Toolkit for Employers, created by the U.S. Department of Labor, to learn about accommodations and other considerations for developing a mental health-friendly workplace.
- Certify your city as an employer that has created a mentally healthy workplace by pursuing a Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health. This type of certification serves as a clear indicator for current and prospective employees that the City is working hard to continuously foster a workplace that prioritizes their workers’ mental health needs.
2. Provide Trainings to Normalize Conversations on Mental Health Supports
- Consider trainings for managers and employees to learn more about trauma-informed care and how they can be more supportive of their colleagues. Explore the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce’s A Trauma-Informed Approach to Workforce (PDF) and consider if their trainings could benefit your municipal workforce.
3. Invest in Broadband to Eliminate Digital Divides and Expand Access to Telehealth Services
- For the many Americans living in HPSAs, addressing their lack of access to devices and/or high-speed internet can be a significant way to ensure that they can access the mental healthcare that they need and deserve.
- Broadband infrastructure is also a critical component of local housing development strategies which work to improve housing stability for residents. Accessible and affordable housing is vital to ensuring the mental wellbeing of residents.
4. Establish a Mayor’s Strategy to Invest in the Mental Well-being of Municipal Workers
- Mayors can demonstrate their commitment to the people who work hard each day to provide critical services and keep the city running. They can do this by developing a strategy and investing staff time and resources to supporting worker wellbeing. This type of investment can help not only increase employee trust in the City as their employer (potentially increasing employee retention) but also allows workers to show up to their jobs fully, enabling stronger provision of city services and elevating trust between residents and the City.
- Mental health plays a critical role in the ability of workers to show up and engage in their work meaningfully, and cities can invest in their workforce by prioritizing their employees’ mental well-being. While cities have focused heavily on workforce development efforts, those efforts are only effective if they’re able to not only attract strong talent, but also retain those people and allow them to engage in their work fully. Investment in mental health allows all residents to be successful inside and outside of work and benefits the well-being of whole communities.
A Self-Directed Stress Relief Exercise for Local Officials
Engaging in creative activities offers a valuable outlet for local municipal officials to manage these pressures, providing a way to explore and express emotions, build resilience and maintain mental well-being amidst the demands of public life. Utilize this exercise to unwind and explore your own creativity.
About the Authors
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