In the midst of a global pandemic, it has become more challenging than ever for employees to manage their health and wellness while juggling their careers and personal lives. NOAA Fisheries is pleased to have Lieutenant Commander Andrea González Battle, Ph.D., join us as the agency's first ever Wellness Program Manager. LCDR Battle will be part of a small group of wellness specialists at NOAA who are contributing to the agency's broader effort to address total worker health.
“As a licensed psychologist, LCDR Battle brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to successfully launch a new Wellness Program for NOAA Fisheries,” says Paul Doremus, Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries. “I am excited to have her get this program underway for NOAA Fisheries employees during a time when managing health and wellness is especially challenging.”
LCDR Battle will develop and maintain a Wellness Program for all NOAA Fisheries employees and serve as a subject matter expert on behavioral and mental health issues. She will develop specific behavioral health program requirements, objectives, and priorities for the agency and lead efforts to create a total workforce wellness strategy that addresses three areas:
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Culture and Communication—affirming wellness, positive behavioral health, and resiliency as core values
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Physical/Emotional Wellbeing—supporting physical and behavioral health and energy
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Social/Community Wellness—fostering strong, respectful relationships virtually and in the workplace
LCDR Battle has been a licensed psychologist for 15 years in clinical, policy, grant monitoring, and program management settings. She most recently served as team lead for the Behavioral and Public Health Branch at the Health Resources and Services Administration. Prior to her commissioning in the U.S. Public Health Service in 2013, she served as the National Guard Psychological Health Program’s Senior Policy Liaison for 4 years. In this role, she was primarily involved in policy development in the areas of behavioral health and suicide prevention. While still living in her native South Florida, she worked as a staff psychologist, an adjunct professor, and a crisis counselor.
Battle received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her BA in Psychology from Duke University, where she was the recipient of a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps scholarship.
