Mental Health In the Workplace

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Workplace Mental Health Check Up

 

Every work environment can benefit from a comprehensive, integrated approach to:

  • Recognizing and addressing mental illness issues
  • Accessing support services
  • Managing disability leave and return to work programs
  • Providing workplace accommodations
  • Creating healthy work environments

How does your workplace measure up?

Take our workplace mental health check up!

 

Working Through It

The Mood Disorders Association of Ontario is pleased to be part of the Working Though It initiative, a partnership with the Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace and CMHA Ontario's Mental Health Works.

Working Through It offers:

  • Practical strategies to assist in coping and surviving through difficult times.
  • Insight into the struggle and how others have overcome it.
  • Helpful suggestions from professionals. 
  • Printable resources with straight forward and practical information.

View the Working Through It videos.

 

Changing Minds At Work

The Mood Disorders Association of Ontario offers presentations and workshops designed to change minds and improve mental health in the workplace by:

  • building mental illness awareness;
  • educating managers, employees and employers; and,
  • communicating practical approaches to early intervention, education and comprehensive mental health strategies.

Some sample sessions:

Shifting Perceptions

This half day session engages and enlightens through a blend of stories, facts and interactive problem-solving, designed to:

  • Build understanding about mental illness and how it plays out in the workplace; its signs, symptoms, prevalence and relevance.
  • Reduce the fear and misconceptions tied to mental illness and the reluctance people have to talk about it.
  • Open people's minds and hearts; open doors for more learning and more effective conversations to take place.

Participants engage in interactive group work using case scenarios tailored to their specific work environment. They develop recommendations for how managers, non-managers, co-workers and those who may be struggling, can reach out.

Initially developed to meet the needs of various groups within the Ontario Public Service, Shifting Perceptions can be tailored to workplaces of any size within both the public and private sectors.

Mind Matters: Achieving a Mentally Healthy Workplace

This session is targeted at business leaders and HR professionals. It blends personal insights, factual information, and collaborative group discussion to examine how organizations can take steps to create healthy workplace environments and implement practices, fundamental to managing mental ill-health. It explores the challenges of dealing with individuals' mental health issues - at work, off work and returning to work - and recommends approaches to dealing with these.

A panel of experts provides insights, live and through multi-media. Participants will leave with suggestions they can act on, and:

  • Gain insights into how to recognize mental illness and addiction issues in employees more readily; approach and deal with related issues in the workplace.
  • Develop understanding as to the interplay among workplace mental health, morale and productivity; the value of early intervention, education and a holistic approach.
  • Be alert to studies, resources and tools that can be used to guide managers and others engaged in dealing with mental health issues in the workplace.

Seeing the Unseen

This one hour presentation explores the 'invisible disability' of mental illness, blending factual information, open discussion and video footage of medical experts and individuals having lived with depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder. It will be of value to employees who may be struggling, their colleagues and managers. We cover the signs and symptoms of common mood disorders, underlying physiology, relevance in the workplace and treatment options. We share tips for how employees, who may be struggling, can reach out for help, and point to resources they can turn to. Additionally, we provide suggestions for how co-workers and managers can reach out to those who may be struggling. And we point to tools and resources that can be accessed, post-workshop. Participants will leave with strengthened understanding of mental illness, how it may present itself in the workplace and where to turn for help.

Educating and Empowering to Improve Mental Health

This 45 minute presentation shares good news about early intervention, illness mitigation and enhanced productivity and points to practical tools that can equip employees to effectively and privately self-assess, become better educated and source help.

We point to workplace strategies that can be introduced to provide leadership in the battle for mental well-being, improve productivity and ensure a healthy, engaged workforce - a compelling call to action to get focused on educating and empowering to improve mental health outcomes.

Mental Illness in the Workplace - A Go-To Guide for Managers

This 30 minute presentation profiles the resources that are available to managers to learn more about: mental illness, its signs and symptoms; sorting out who's who in the mental health mosaic; their roles and responsibilities in managing an employee who is or may be experiencing a mental illness; how to reach out to those struggling and support the process of recovery. Attendees will leave this session aware of the relevant tools and training available to them.

Contact us for a customized session

We value collaborating with our partners to ensure an exceptional experience.

We tailor our presentations, workshops and symposiums to each organization we work with, consult in advance and post-session and we are pleased to develop new, customized content to meet the unique needs of those we serve.

If you are interested in accessing our services, kindly fill out this brief needs assessment

Or for more information, please contact:

Omar Ansari
Peer Support Coordinator - Community and Workplace, Mood Disorders Association of Ontario
416.486.8046 x 251
omara@mooddisorders.ca