Building Your Workplace Mental Health Community
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Building Your Workplace Mental Health Community One Action at a Time Part 1 Shannon Gander – Life Work Wellness
Transcript of Building Your Workplace Mental Health Community
Building Your Workplace Mental Health Community
One Action at a Time Part 1
Shannon Gander – Life Work Wellness
• 1 in 5 people will experience a mental illness in their lifetime
• Mental health is the leading cause of workplace disability (70% of disability costs)
• Economic cost to businesses is $52 billion/year
• Everyday 500,000 Canadians miss work due to MH
The Business Case
Mental Health Commission of Canada
Part 1
q The mindset shift on mental health & mental illness
q Signs, symptoms & myths about common mental health concerns
q Understanding recovery over time
q Principles to guide conversations about mental health
q Actions to end stigma
Client Journey
Confidentiality Disclaimer
Throughout the session, I may share stories based on my experience as a therapist and
as a coach to leaders who have shared their experiences.
I will not use identifiers and if I do, it is
because I have had permission to do so by the individual whose story I am sharing.
13 Factors Psycho-social Factors 1. Psychological Support
2. Organizational Culture
3. Clear Leadership & Expectations
4. Civility & Respect
5. Psychological Competency
6. Growth & Development
7. Recognition & Reward
8. Involvement & Influence
9. Workload Management
10. Engagement
11. Balance
12. Psychological Protection
13. Protection of Physical Safety www.guardingmindsatwork.ca
Where are Organizations Challenged? Name the top 3 factors
Polling - ranking
Psychological Health & Safety
Top 2 psycho-social factors with lowest scores:
Organizational Culture
Civility & Respect
Mental Health Definition The capacity of each and all of us to feel, think, and act in ways that enhance our ability to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we face. It is a positive sense of emotional and spiritual well-being that respects the importance of culture, equity, social justice, interconnections and personal dignity.
The Employee Lifespan
WORK, LIFE OVER TIME
FLOURISHING
LANGUISHING
Op#malMentalHealth
MinimalMentalHealth
HighLevelMentalIllness
NoMentalIllness
By Corey Keyes
Op#malMentalHealth
MinimalMentalHealth
When it comes to the topic of Mental Health?
What Scares Us
What Exactly Does This Mean?
AnxietyDisorders
MoodDisorders
SubstanceRelatedDisorders
Clinical
Subclinical
Assumptions & Common Myths
• If “Jim” tried harder, he would be doing better
• Laziness is part of mental illness
• This person just doesn’t care
• They will never get better so why bother
• People cannot recover from a mental health set back
Real Stories Mental Illness can affect any of us and is unrelated work ethic, or a “bad” attitude
A mental health crisis can impact how we know ourselves to be
Photo by: Sebastien Millon
It’s Like You Don’t Know Yourself
The Unexpected Client Journey
UPS & DOWNS OF RECOVERY
Recovery Trend Over Time
Name ultimate goal. Work backwards to this moment in time.
Principles to Guide Conversations about Mental Health
Create Safety
Listen with Empathy
Engage Compassion
Reduce Stigma
Supporting Employee
Mental Health
Where Leaders Struggle
• When some time has passed and the individual is not back to full capacity
• A staff person says they can’t do something; you think they can
• When other staff are complaining
• Impact on team morale
• When an employee misses on deadline days
1. Prepare vs. preload 2. Invite a conversation 3. Name the concerning behaviours without
judgment 4. Clarify – no expectations for disclosure 5. Listen to their perspective 6. Validate info/feelings shared 7. Share resource information and your role
in supporting them 8. Make a plan to meet soon and do it!
Adapted from: Workplace Strategies for Mental Health, Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace
Guiding Steps
Communicating Mental Health Concerns
Take 1… I think you are depressed and need help. I can tell because you aren’t showering before work and coming in late.
Take 2…
I have noticed over the past few months that you are (name the behaviours that are different…coming in late, more agitated in meetings, etc) and I am wondering how you are doing?
Express your concern (with compassion and non-judgmentally) and don’t speculate on what you “think it is”.
Know the difference between lack of understanding and judgment
What if you don’t fully understand?
Mental Health Stigma Stigma refers to negative attitudes (prejudice) and behaviour (discrimination) toward people with mental health problems that leads to exclusion
Mental Health First Aid Canada - MHCC
The Cost of Mental Health Stigma
More than 60% of people with mental health concerns and mental illness won’t seek the help they need due to the mental health stigma in our culture.
Mental Health Commission of Canada & Workplace Strategies for Mental Health
Psychological Health & Safety at Work
We are all in this together
Involves taking precautions to avert injury or danger to employee psychological health.
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Actions to End Stigma
Changetheconversa.onBeawareoflanguageEducateyourselfBekind/compassionateDon’tmakeassump.ons/suspendjudgement
ReachoutforownhelpSupportothersDon’tlabelBeinclusiveSpeakup,shareknowledge
AdaptedfromCanadianMentalHealthAssocia5on
Starting Steps
Bring in speaker EFAP
Invite staff to share actions to mental health
Promote info on mental well-being
Focus on Mental Wellness First
Ask Me – Let’s Talk
Healthy companies
Stronger communities
Vibrant families
Actions to Outcomes
Healthy
Workplace
Healthy Teams
Healthy People
~ Victoria Maxwell
May we all work together to Build our Mentally Healthy Workplaces
What’s Yours?
