The mission of NFL Total Wellness is to build systems, create programs, provide resources, and encourage culture change to enhance the overall well-being of the NFL community in the areas of physical, emotional, spiritual, social, intellectual, environmental, occupational, and financial health.
We seek to create a culture in which health and well-being is valued, protected, and prioritized, and to ensure our community has timely access to high quality, culturally competent, and evidence-based services and resources.
The NFL, in partnership with Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, launched the NFL Total Wellness platform in 2012 after a recognition that there was a need for more support for retired NFL players. Based on a peer-to-peer model, the platform was designed to:
The primary service provided by Total Wellness when it launched in 2012 was the NFL Life Line, a free, confidential, independently operated resource that connects callers with trained counselors who can help individuals work through any personal or emotional crisis. Total Wellness also launched a Transition Coach program that trained former players as peer counselors to aid players in their transition out of football.
Over the years, our purview has expanded to cover more aspects of wellness for all members of the NFL family, including active and retired players, their families, coaches and staff. In its current form, the Total Wellness platform includes:
Nyaka NiiLampti, Vice President of Wellness and Clinical Services
Dr. NiiLampti is a licensed psychologist with over 20 years of clinical experience, and she has worked extensively with organizations, sports teams, individuals, and families in a variety of settings, including community mental health, college counseling centers, and private practice. She previously served as Director of Player Wellness for the NFL Players Association. In that role, she focused on providing resources and educating players on all aspects of wellness, and she served as an advocate for players by ensuring their rights were protected under NFL drug policies.
A former track and field college student-athlete, NiiLampti has a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, an M.A. with a concentration in Sport Psychology from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and a Ph.D. from Temple University.
The NFL-NFLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement formalized a requirement for every NFL club to have a licensed and experienced mental health clinician on-site who is fully integrated into the team environment. These clinicians are tasked to provide education, outreach and mental health resources to players, coaches, staff, and their immediate family members.