Hello to all of our phenomenal viewers, listeners, and supporters. If you are a new audience member, we are so grateful to have you. Welcome to another episode of “CONNECTED,” where we discuss all things mental health, recovery, employment, and stories. Thank you to our sponsors, Contra Costa Health, and John Muir!

Today, we have a special guest all the way from New York. Joining us is the Interim Managing Director of Strategic Growth at Fountain House New York. Fountain House is a pioneering organization dedicated to supporting people living with mental illness, and through his work there, he has helped shape a community-centered approach to workplace well-being.

Before stepping into the world of strategic growth, he spent a few years as a poetry and English professor. However, after becoming discouraged by the limitations of the tenure system, he decided to chart a new path—one that combined his passion for community and education. That journey led him to Fountain House, where he’s spent the last seven years fostering collaborations through Fountain House United, which brings together different clubhouses to amplify their collective impact.

Throughout his career, he has embraced the philosophy that ‘the community will tell you what it needs.’ This belief has deeply shaped his approach to emotional wellness in the workplace, especially as it relates to building supportive, connected environments where people can truly thrive. Outside of his work, he’s a self-proclaimed homebody who enjoys the simple joys of food, poetry, and writing.

Today, we’re talking about why emotional intelligence and emotional wellness are so crucial in our work environments, and how organizations—whether big or small—can cultivate spaces that nurture both individual and collective well-being. Welcome, Alex Baldassare

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Visit Fountain House Website: https://www.fountainhouse.org/