Slashing the Stigma: How to Get Employees Talking to Prioritize Mental Health

Sheila Collins is a lead communications advisor for Lockheed Martin’s Rotary and Missions Systems (RMS), the largest business area at among the world’s largest aerospace and defense contractor. Currently, Collins handles internal communications for the RMS Human Resources organization, including culture and change management, as part of the Employee and Executive Communications team. In this role, she’s advanced the organization’s Mission First culture and implemented the RMS Positive Mental Health Campaign to promote conversation and destigmatize mental health. The campaign, launched in 2018, has focused on building an employee-led dialogue to raise awareness, educate about the company’s available resources, and encourage the use of those resources. In 2021, employee use of promoted resources increased by 400 percent. She has earned multiple awards for communications excellence and has been recognized among the top one percent of employees at Lockheed Martin.