The information from the toolkits and scorecards are great resources to help background information and steps to great a successful wellness program. The scorecards are a great tool to use when collecting initial data at a company. The information obtained from these scorecards show the strengths and weakness, show any gaps if a program is already implemented, and give guidance on the area that should be focused on for the program. The different toolkits help provide basic steps to help with successful planning and implementation of a program. Each toolkit while different, all present very similar steps to follow when creating a wellness program. The toolkits are very detailed which makes them easy to follow and can be used at any worksite. 

I think that all of the resources presented this week are very helpful but after taking a closer look at each one, there are a few that stand out for my project. I think the HERO scorecard would help as an initial survey of the company to show where the opportunities and what the current statues of well-being is at the company I will be working at. This can help guide what the program should focus on as well. I also think the Minnesota Department of Health Work Well Toolkit will be very helpful. This toolkit provide 4 simple steps to follow on planning and implementation. It covers all of the details needed from building a case for a wellness program to how to build, implement, and evaluate. One thing I really liked about this toolkit is the extra resource links that are provided at end of each section. This is very helpful as give gives more resources to use to gain knowledge and different ideas from to help make my project successful. I also really liked the WELCOA checklist. I think it would be beneficial to have a membership as this site helps give valuable information. The data provided from the checklist can help persuade senior leadership, the recommendations given can help guide the focus of the program, and the strengths and weakness can help show what needs to be improved. 

References 

 The Total Worker Health (TWH) program does prove to be beneficial in addressing worksite health and wellness. TWH focuses on a holistic approach to determine risk factors related to the work environment that are not benefiting the employee, employer, or nation (CDC, 2017). This program helps protect the well-being of employees through work-related safety that prevents injury's and illness (CDC, 2017). It also focuses on the social determinants of health that can affect an employees well-being (CDC, 2017). This is important because well-being at work is not just about having a safe environment to work. It’s also involves employee’s workload and stress levels, pay rates, paid time off, and health promotion in the workplace. TWH shows employers that health and wellness goes beyond the physical aspects and programs need to focus on the overall well-being of employees. 

 The theories and models discussed in this weeks lesson can be useful in developing an assessment tool to help plan for a worksite wellness program. The theories and models discuss the importance of social connections and assessing the environment as a whole. Surveys can be developed to help assess the workplace environment and the social relationships at work. This type of tool would be useful for my Briefcase project because it can help with determining the initial areas to focus on for the program. This tool can give a good overview of how the employees perceive their work environment and gives areas to improve. Since my topic is focusing on stress, I think learning about any stressful factors in the work environment would be beneficial. It would be a good starting point for my research.