case study:
Addressing Burnout and Advancing wellness:
How Attemla Consulting Unified Two Leading Public Health Institutions to Create Healing-Centered Support Systems
Community Partner :
University of Washington – School of Public Health (Seattle)
Project Duration: 4.5 Years (Since 2019- Present)
challenge
As the challenges of COVID-19 and social upheaval intensified in late 2019, the University of Washington’s School of Public Health experienced significant stress and burnout among its staff and students, especially those from historically underserved communities, including Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other People of Color.
These individuals experienced heightened anxiety, emotional exhaustion, and disconnection, affecting their capacity to fully participate in academic and professional settings. The institution recognized the need for a comprehensive, healing-centered responsive approach to support community well-being and foster a more welcoming, supportive environment.
Solution
Attemla Consulting introduced our healing-centered proprietary framework designed to foster collective healing and create sustainable support systems grounded in health access and community well-being.
Identity-Based Wellness Spaces: Established restful and accountable spaces where people with varied backgrounds can gather, share experiences, form mutual support networks, and work toward shared healing and wellness.
Wellness Workshops & Check-Ins: Led sessions focused on breathwork, mindfulness, and somatic practices to help participants manage stress, release tension, and reconnect with their physical and mental well-being.
Collaborative Health Partnerships: Partnered with the University of Washington and Mount Sinai’s Department of Environmental Medicine to build unified approaches that support healthy, cohesive work environments.
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Over the course of 4.5 years, Attemla Consulting’s health-focused approach provided transformative support to the University of Washington’s School of Public Health and the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at Mount Sinai. Through our healing-centered proprietary framework, we served as a key catalyst in bringing these two prestigious institutions together. This collaboration began at the 2022 NIEHS Environmental Health Sciences (EHS) Core Centers meeting in New York City—the first in-person meeting since 2019—where we facilitated workshops that laid the foundation for a unified approach to community health and well-being. Our framework empowered both universities to develop collaborative practices to address burnout and systemic challenges, resulting in a cohesive, cross-institutional partnership.
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Attemla Consulting set a new benchmark for collaborative efforts across two of the nation’s leading public health universities. Our framework offered a structured, healing-centered approach to addressing the intersecting challenges of COVID-19 and deeply ingrained societal issues. By emphasizing culturally relevant practices, we established spaces for collective support, shared well-being, and creative strategies that advance fairness and opportunity for all. The partnership between these institutions showcased the strength of unified efforts in supporting BIPOC staff and students through turbulent times, placing health and community care at the heart of their organizational practices.
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As the driving force behind this innovative partnership, Attemla Consulting’s proprietary healing-centered framework supported the University of Washington and Mount Sinai in transforming their organizational cultures, alleviating burnout, and deepening their commitment to fair health practices. By encouraging intentional pauses and embedding culturally responsive strategies, we enabled both institutions to build lasting support systems and networks of mutual aid. This collaboration positioned both universities as pioneers in health-focused, community-oriented practices, illustrating that investing in culturally-aligned approaches fosters stronger engagement, reduces turnover, and makes a meaningful, lasting impact on community health and organizational stability.