Texas A&M receives Mental Health Heroes award
ComPsych’s Health at Work Awards recognize Living Well’s efforts to prioritize employee health and well-being.
ComPsych — the worldwide leader in organizational behavioral health, well-being and absence management — has named Texas A&M University a winner of its 2025 ComPsych Health at Work Awards. Texas A&M was recognized alongside organizations across a variety of industries, locations and sizes, winning the Mental Health Heroes award for outstanding program that promotes a positive mental health culture and reduces stigma around mental health issues.
The recognition and what it represents hit close to home for many employees, including Taylor Thomas, a human resources generalist III at Texas A&M. “Last year, I went through one of the hardest seasons of my life,” Thomas shared. “I lost my mother after serving as her caretaker during her final months.
“Through our Employee Assistance Program with ComPsych, I found resources specifically for caregivers that helped me realize I needed support just as much as she did,” Thomas explained. “It also introduced me to the concept of anticipatory grief, which was a vital tool for me before she even passed.”
Thomas is not the only Texas A&M employee who has endured a difficult situation, and the loss of a parent is not the only difficult situation employees face. Where do employees turn when facing such potentially debilitating situations?
“Texas A&M University is well known throughout academia and industry as a place with vast resources,” said Kourtney Bassett, assistant director of employee wellness at Texas A&M. “Specifically for mental health and well-being, our relationship with ComPsych opens up a world of possibilities in terms of ensuring that employees — our people who make this university what it is — gain access to the right care, at the right time, in the right way.”
“I am a huge advocate for our Employee Assistance Program because I’ve experienced firsthand how much it offers beyond just traditional counseling,” concluded Thomas. “The program helped me connect with a grief counselor who shared a very similar background to mine. She truly helped me find the tools I needed to find my new normal without my angel. Because of this, I always stress the importance of these resources to my customers. I make sure they know it’s not just about therapy, though I’m a big believer in it! The program offers so much more, from quick answers to legal and financial questions to my personal favorite: deep discounts on entertainment and travel. It’s a holistic resource, and I’m proof that it works.”
Texas A&M employees can explore the variety of mental health resources available on the Employee Mental Health Resources webpage. These resources include medical-plan-enrolled, benefits-eligible and open-to-all options. In the event of a mental health emergency, call 988 for 24/7/365 support or visit 988lifeline.org.
