About Us

Ryan Gallik
EMT-P, FD-HSO, FD-ISO

Ryan Gallik is an award-winning international speaker, trainer & business consultant who works with organizations to build high-performing teams and organizations by building total employee health, which includes mental health. His inspiring keynotes, breakouts and workshops have helped thousands of leaders create a happier, healthier workforce, which lead to more productive and creative environments. He is also the author of Silent Mayday, The Clinician’s Guide to Working with First Responders.

He is the founder of Ryan Gallik and Associates, an occupational safety, health and wellness consulting firm, and the co-founder of The Mental Hygiene Project®. Ryan conceived the idea for The Mental Hygiene Project® during his long career as a Firefighter/Paramedic, where he experienced first-hand the toll that mental health injuries take on people, organizations and communities. He is committed to helping companies prevent mental health injuries through proactive mental hygiene programs.

Ryan has over 15 years of experience working with Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and Peer Support Teams. He has worked with many clinical professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed mental health counselors, and others to create initiatives and partnerships with industries, and refer individuals to clinicians that have the specific expertise (Cultural Competency) that one needs to recover and to even find post traumatic growth after trauma.

In June 2021, Ryan was appointed as Board of Directors for the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Greater Orlando Chapter (NAMIGO). While he currently sits ont he board, his first term begins in January 2022.

Ryan’s vision is to create a world where people experiencing mental health injuries like anxiety, depression, burnout, compassion fatigue and post-traumatic stress are treated with respect and dignity – and to influence people to go from the syndrome and into the strategy to being happy and healthy. Ryan’s work with corporations helps leadership teams have awareness, prevent, and mitigate the many forms of mental health injuries that have profound effects at all levels of society, business and families.

Ryan is also an avid and experienced traveler, having visited 6 continents, more than 30 countries, and all 50 states, most of them twice. He has a passion for people, culture, culinary arts and exploring the world through local cuisine, and the arts.

Dr. Shannon G. Taylor Ph.D.
Director of Research and Learning
The Mental Hygiene Project®

Dr. Shannon Taylor is an Associate Professor of Management at the University of Central Florida. Dr. Taylor is a member of The Mental Hygiene Project Advisory Board and has authored the MHP research project titled, “The Science of Resilience”. This report provides a summary of scientific research findings on resilience. It reflects a review of more than 75 studies spanning the fields of psychology, business, education and medicine. 

Dr. Taylor’s research focuses on leadership and workplace interactions. He has given more than 50 presentations at international conferences, has published in leading journals in management and applied psychology, and his work has been featured by The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CBS This Morning, Fox News, NPR and the BBC. .

Active in the business community, Dr. Taylor consults for public, private, and non-profit organizations in the healthcare, communications, construction, retail, and hospitality industries. He is also a contributor to the Harvard Business Review. 

Shannon and his wife Laura live in Orlando, FL with their two children.

 

Claudia Swonger MA, LMHC
Advisory Board
The Mental Hygiene Project®

Claudia Swonger is a bilingual (English and Spanish) Licensed Mental Health Counselor with over 12 years experience in the Mental Health Field. Claudia has worked in various settings such as office, home and hospital where she has helped children, adolescents and adults recover from mental illness. She has received trainings in CBT, TFCBT, Motivational Interviewing and Adoption Competency. She was the owner and founder of Lotus Blossom Counseling in Lake Nona for 3 years.

Most recently, Claudia served as the Physician Provider Relations Director for Behavioral Health at HCA Florida Osceola Behavioral Health Program for 2 years. Her current role is that of Regional Director of Business Development at Pasadena Villa where she continues to advocate, educate and connect those in need of mental health services. 

Claudia is a NAMI of Greater Orlando Board Member, currently serves as the Secretary and is on the Executive Committee. She is passionate about advocating, normalizing and educating on the topic of mental health. Claudia resides in Orlando with her husband Tom and 3 boys Thomas, Vaughn and Phoenix.

 

Dr. Steve M. Jex Ph.D.
Advisory Board
The Mental Hygiene Project®

Steve M. Jex (Ph.D. 1988, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, University of South Florida) is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Central Florida. Prior to joining the faculty at UCF in 2017 he has held faculty positions at Central Michigan University, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, and Bowling Green State University. He has also held guest scientist appointments with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and Walter Reed Army Institute for Research (WRAIR).

For the past 34 years most of his research has investigated the impact of individual difference on employee responses to stressors in the workplace. He has also investigated aging and retirement issues, and more recently how employees balance chronic health conditions with work demands. Dr. Jex is the author of over 100 journal articles and book chapters, as well as three books including Stress and Job Performance, Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior: Evidenced-Based Lessons for Creating Sustainable Organizations and Thriving Under Stress: Harnessing the Demands of The Workplace.