Breaking the Silence on Mental Illness: Bringing Supportive Conversations to the Workplace

Change and uncertainty are impacting our mental health and our ability to cope. Research shows that one in five will experience a mental illness at some point. That means every person is likely to have a family member, friend, or co-worker struggling with a mental illness.

Failing to address these mental health concerns within your team will result in burnout, increased absenteeism, disengagement, and lost productivity. Leaders who know how and feel comfortable holding a supportive mental health conversation will have teams that can thrive during this uncertainty.

• Leaders who feel comfortable addressing mental health issues will have teams that thrive through challenge and those organizations that ignore those mental health needs will struggle to be productive, service their customers, and be competitive
• There is a mental health continuum that we all move along, and it is dynamic as we experience stress, challenge, and crisis
• Resiliency is boosted by garnering support from those around you
• Effective and supportive mental health conversations create a psychologically safe and healthy workplace where employees can thrive
• Recognition of the common indicators of a mental health challenge within their team is key to reducing stigma and creating a psychologically healthy workplace
• readers can develop and confidently practice strategies for supporting those experiencing a mental health challenge
• Utilizing the A-L-E-C model for effective and supportive mental health conversations is a comprehensive strategy that ensures that those experiencing a mental health challenge know that it is okay to open up and ask for help when needed

Participants will:

• Recognize the signs and symptoms that are signaling that your team is not coping as well as they could be
• Distinguish the signs and symptoms of major mental illnesses so that there is a general recognition of the early warning signs of a mental health challenge
• Develop an understanding and strategies for supporting those experiencing mental health challenges in order to encourage members to seek appropriate help if needed effectively
• Combat the effects of the stigma associated with having a mental illness in order to build understanding and acceptance in your workplace
• Utilize the A-L-E-C model for effective and supportive mental health conversations to create a psychologically healthy workplace

Silence and stigma about mental illness are costly and those who need help often suffer in silence. Many employees would feel uncomfortable speaking up if they were experiencing a mental health issue. Over half of the respondents feared that making such a disclosure would jeopardize their chances for promotion and future success in their organizations. This fear and stigma can have disastrous consequences and negatively impact your bottom line. Many leaders feel that they lack meaningful tools to offer any assistance. The key to breaking down barriers and eliminating the stigma around mental health is our ability to have supportive, honest, caring conversations.

Successful leaders know that healthy employees are a competitive edge and they know that small shifts can have a major impact. By focusing on how to hold supportive mental health conversations, this interactive training will help you protect your team’s mental health now and in the future.

Discover how to be supportive when you suspect someone is struggling and become comfortable with having a conversation in a non-judgmental and supportive way so you can promote a productive, engaged, and psychologically healthy workplace. Learn strategies using the A-L-E-C model for addressing the issue of mental health in a supportive, open and confident way.

• Human Resources Professionals
• Health and Safety Reps
• Union Reps
• Supervisors, Managers, Directors (Team Leads)
• Executive Directors Not-For-Profit
• Business Owners, Entrepreneurs
• C-Suite

With an impressive track record spanning over 25 years, Beverly has been guiding her audiences toward mastering their reactions to stress, cultivating a culture of resilience, and achieving thriving, engaged lives through her innovative S-O-S Principle™ and Work Smart Live Smart presentations. Beverly works with teams and leaders to shift from stressed out to resilient, enabling them to be more engaged, productive, and healthy.