Women in Business Luncheon May 2025: Protecting Mental Health in High-Performance Work Environments

A Panel Discussion with Mental Health Experts

Prioritizing mental health in the workplace is essential for fostering a productive, engaged, and resilient workforce. This expert-led panel will explore how businesses can foster psychological safety, workplace flexibility, and effective wellness programs to better support women in the workforce.

Join leading mental health professionals, Dr. Melissa Briggs-Phillips, PhD; Linda Jakes, LISW-S; and Andriel Ugbomeh, MSSA, LSW as they share research-backed insights and actionable strategies to create a workplace culture where women feel valued, heard, and empowered to thrive. Topics will include:

✅ Creating a psychologically safe workplace where employees can speak openly and seek support.
✅ Implementing flexible work policies that promote balance and prevent burnout.
✅ Designing mental health initiatives that go beyond check-the-box wellness programs.
✅ Understanding the business case for prioritizing employee well-being.

This discussion is perfect for business leaders, HR professionals, entrepreneurs, and employees looking to build healthier, more inclusive workplaces. Register now to be part of this vital conversation!

Meet Our Panel!

Dr. Melissa Briggs-Phillips, PhD
Chief Psychotherapy Officer & Psychologist-In-Residence
MiNDSET Integrative Ketamine Care

Dr. Melissa Briggs-Phillips is a Clinical Psychologist with a circuitous career path. In 2015 she founded Next Generation Behavioral Health with a singular vision: Provide exceptional therapy, coaching and training experiences to teach people the transformative skill of psychological flexibility. She believes wholeheartedly this ability empowers individuals and groups to behave forward toward their very best next. In 2023 she partnered with an anesthesiologist in the opening of Mindset Integrated Ketamine Care to bring this next generation, game changing modality to patients. Ask her about psychedelic therapies!

Her professional background is diverse. She started her career in the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Unit at the District Attorney’s Office in the City of Philadelphia. After finishing her Ph.D., she spent years serving as a leader on complex projects. She started her operational leadership career as the Project Director of a multimillion-dollar public health research grant. Next, she was the administrative director of of a 400,000 square foot research facility; ultimately overseeing all initial building operations from allocation of space, housekeeping, security, technology infrastructure, facility and maintenance services, and shared research resources.

Dr. Melissa served as the Executive Director of an Innovation Center at The Ohio State University that engaged faculty from 12 different colleges collaboratively designing market-based solutions to poverty for individuals and communities. She restructured an entire department of research at a medical center as a Chief-of-Staff. All the while, she never stopped working with trauma survivors in her clinical practice. As an adjunct professor, it has been her personal mission to make sure first-generation college students could imagine themselves belonging, so on her own time she has mentored dozens of students toward successful completion of their degrees. Speaking engagements are teaching experiences to her, and her wholehearted goal is that people leave time with her thinking about something in a different way, and willing to try a new behavior in service of THEIR best next.

“Dr. M” as her clients call her, is a psychologist, partner, parent, philanthropist and pet-obsessed person.

 

Linda Jakes, LISW-S
Executive Director
Concord Counseling Services

Linda has been a staff member of Concord Counseling Services for 37 years. In 1987 she began working at Concord as their Community Treatment Team Leader, and in 2001 she was promoted to Clinical Director of Case Management Services.  Because of her dedication to the clients and staff she became the agency Clinical Director in 2007, and in 2012 she became the Associate Director.  In July of 2020 she took on the role of Executive Director. The programs Linda has managed at Concord have long been approaches that incorporate support for both individuals and their families while focusing on community integration to increase community living days. These approaches and Linda were highlighted in John Kasich’s’ book Courage Is Contagious.
 
Linda Jakes received her Bachelor's degree in Social Work from Bowling Green State University in 1977 and her Masters degree from The Ohio State University in 1987. Linda is a Licensed Independent Social Worker Supervisor in the State of Ohio.
 
Linda’s initial job was as a Case manager in Norwalk, Ohio assisting individuals with serious mental illnesses from 1978 until 1985. She came to Columbus to get her Masters degree in Social Work at Ohio State University in 1985. She also taught for six years at Columbus State Community College, as adjunct faculty in their Social Work and Human Services Department. Linda is often sought out by community groups to speak about severe and persistent mental illness from a service delivery perspective.
 
In 2007 Linda was recognized by the Alcohol and Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County as the winner of the coveted Barry Mastrine Award in recognition for her outstanding and dedicated contributions that go above and beyond for consumers and the behavioral health field. 
 
In 2016 the Westerville Leadership Association awarded her the MLK Alston Award, based on her career of helping others and demonstrating the personal characteristics of Martin Luther King.

Andriel Ugbomeh, MSSA, LSW
Founder & CEO
Healing Without Limits Counseling & Consulting

Andriel Ugbomeh is an award-winning leader and licensed mental health therapist, known for her impact on both systemic mental health reform and workplace wellness. She is the Founder and CEO of Healing Without Limits Counseling and Consulting, a consulting firm leading efforts to address mental health in the workplace and advise mental health systems across the country.

Her background spans direct clinical care—including mental health treatment for adults and couples as an EMDR-trained therapist—to leading major government initiatives across the nation. Before launching Healing Without Limits, Andriel managed Ohio’s $96 million State Opioid Response (SOR) grant, overseeing funding for nearly 20 local boards and partner organizations working for the state of Ohio.

Through Healing Without Limits, she has also led high-profile federal consulting efforts, including managing a behavioral health initiative on behalf of the FDA Commissioner, working with the senior leadership of the federal government (SAMHSA, CDC, NIH, HRSA, CMS, White House, and DEA) to strengthen the national behavioral health system and reduce overdose deaths.

Today, Healing Without Limits continues to drive change through its one-of-a-kind Mental Health Workplace Wellness Program, partnering with companies of all sizes to integrate mental health into policies, leadership, and operations. The program helps organizations improve employee well-being, engagement, retention, morale, and overall success by building workplace cultures that empowers through wellness.

Andriel holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Bowling Green State University, a Master of Science in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University, and is a Licensed Social Worker in Ohio.

 

Meet Our Moderator!
 

Sharon DeLay, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
President/Owner
BoldlyGO Career & HR Management (GO-HR)

Sharon Thomas DeLay is an HR consultant, national HR speaker, and trainer. She is the owner and President of GO-HR, an HR consultancy working almost exclusively with small and micro businesses across five areas: HR strategy and compliance, recruiting and on-boarding, training and development, non-traditional benefits and consulting, and workplace investigations. The company also provides HR project work and compensation studies for larger companies. GO-HR has clients throughout the U.S. and is a certified woman-owned business (WBE) by the State of Ohio and (CWBE) by The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).

Sharon earned her MBA, as well as undergraduate degrees in HR, Education, and Communication, demonstrating her interest in continual learning. She maintains Senior Professional Human Resources (SPHR) and Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-SCP) HR professional certifications, and Career Coach (CPCC) and Résumé Writer (CPRW) certifications. She is also a certified EEO investigator and certified by SHRM to conduct workplace investigations. Sharon is an Everything DiSC Certified Trainer and Authorized Partner.

Sharon is the current President-Elect of the Human Resource Association of Central Ohio (HRACO), the local SHRM affiliate. She served for three years on the Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Trustees from 2021-2023 and is a member of the Powell Chamber of Commerce, Tri-Village Chamber, and Lewis Center Business Association. Other board involvement has included Camp Wyandot, NAWBO Columbus, and the WSBA. She has been a committee member or facilitator for NAWBO Columbus, the Westerville Chamber, HRACO, SEA Change, YEA Columbus, and the Conway Center for Family Businesses. She has trained new attorneys about HR through the Columbus Bar Association, and HR professionals working toward their professional certification as a SHRM certification instructor. She facilitates the HR Roundtable for the Conway Center for Family Businesses, highlighting HR-related issues important to family-owned businesses. 

GO-HR has been recognized as a 2019-2023 Columbus CEO Best of Business honoree for HR Services, the 2022 Small Business of the Year by the Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce, and a 2023 Medical Mutual Pillar Award for Community Service. In 2023, Sharon was recognized by Columbus Business First as an HR Impact awardee. She received the Lifetime Achievement award for Excellence in HR by Columbus CEO in 2019. She has been honored with the 2022 NAWBO Columbus Visionary award, 2021 Business Person of the Year award from the Westerville Chamber, NAWBO Columbus 2015 Women’s Business Champion, and the 2019 WSBA Emerging Leader award.

In addition to being quoted and noted in Fast Company, Huffington Post, Columbus CEO, SHRM Magazine, Recruiter.com, The New York Times, Workspan, The Ladders, and Mashable (among others), she is also the author of the award-winning E-Cruiting, and Career Boot Camp, a self-contained full career transition program.

Sharon lives in Columbus with her husband Kevin, and their 2 dogs, Jack and Luna the Destroyer.