Case study: A healthier community starts with a healthier workforce
How the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) built a benefits strategy designed to better engage its employees and support their whole-person health needs.
Based on a case study completed in 2023. Last updated in August 2025.
Building Healthier Together
Committed to a community of care
Led by Sheriff Dennis Lemma, the 1,400+ employees at the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) are committed to their mission to enhance the quality of life by reducing crime — and the fear of crime — throughout Seminole County, Florida.
“From patrolling the streets to working in child protective services, our employees are dealing with a lot of stressful situations,” says Department of Administrative Services Chief Lisa Spriggs, whose team manages employee benefits.
Sprigg adds,“It’s important that they feel secure — that they and their families are taken care of with high-quality benefits at a reasonable cost.”
Taking care of employees goes beyond physical health. With the majority of SCSO survey respondents indicating they sometimes or often felt overwhelmed with stress, employee emotional well-being is also a priority.
Engaging employees in their health and well-being
To help educate employees about expanded wellness offerings and get them involved in wellness coaching, weight loss, activity tracking and more, SCSO brought on an on-site UnitedHealthcare Health Engagement Nurse, Lisa Guiley, in 2020.
To reach as many employees as possible, Nurse Lisa uses a variety of channels and programming: newsletters, videos, on-site presentations, blood pressure checks, step and fitness challenges, 1-on-1 consultations and more.
These efforts have helped increase employees’ awareness and utilization of their benefits. As a result, many are taking better care of their health and well-being and making more informed decisions, such as getting preventive care and participating in clinical programs.
“You have to take care of your workforce if they’re going to take care of your community.”
Prioritizing mental health support
One of Sheriff Lemma’s priorities is mitigating local substance use disorders and mental health issues. “The need for appropriate mental health services in our community has never been greater than it is today,” says Sheriff Lemma. “Both our workforce and community deserve high-quality resources to ensure they are always in the best state of mind.” As part of that initiative, he created the Seminole Collaborative Opioid Response Effort (S.C.O.R.E.), a holistic strategy that includes recovery support for users and enhanced prosecution for drug dealers.
Sheriff Lemma’s commitment to mental health clearly extends to his team, too. “First and foremost is just educating our employees that their benefits include behavioral health,” says Chief Spriggs.
Nurse Lisa helps employees understand how to access a continuum of behavioral health benefits — from in-person and virtual therapy to self-help tools like Calm Health, which employees can download for free to help manage stress, anxiety and depression.
Their EAP — which works in coordination with their medical plan — offers additional support, including access to providers experienced in working with first responders.
Today, “employees are more willing to discuss mental health and what they’re going through than in the past,” says Chief Spriggs. This is an indication that the engagement efforts led by UnitedHealthcare and SCSO are helping reduce stigma and support all aspects of employee health and well-being.
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