With more than 60% of employees experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition in the past year1, addressing mental health in the workplace is critical to create an inclusive culture of support.
On October 2, 2019, Ignite Wellness San Diego hosted a “Thriving @ Work: Mental Health in the Workplace” forum to provide more than 70 local human resource and wellness professionals with the tools and resources to navigate mental health at work.
Through a sponsorship from New Benefits, Ignite Wellness San Diego was able to bring in a national leader in this space, Mind Share Partners, to provide their expertise and vast resources in conducting this interactive workshop. Mind Share Partners’ mission is to change the culture of workplace mental health so that both employees and organizations can thrive.
89% of attendees reported feeling more comfortable talking about mental health at work.
Natasha Krol, Mind Share Partners’ workplace training and strategic advisor, facilitated a lively discussion on creative solutions for how attendees can talk about mental health in the workplace and improve their organizations’ overall health.
Attendees were given the tools and resources to feel empowered to talk about mental health at work. Natasha also dispelled common myths surrounding mental health conditions. Using specific examples and scenarios, there were frequent breakout sessions to brainstorm solutions with other attendees.
"I was able to learn key talking points to help leadership 'buy-in' to mental health initiatives."
Following the forum, 84% of attendees were willing to hire someone with a mental health condition, and 89% were more comfortable talking about mental health at work.
Below are resources from Mind Share Partners to learn more about how to address mental health in the workplace:
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- Mind Share Partners’ Mental Health at Work Report, in partnership with SAP & Qualtrics
- Toolkits, including a Communications Toolkit for World Mental Health Day (Oct 10)
- Mind Share Partners articles on Forbes and ThriveGlobal
"I feel empowered to talk about mental health in the workplace and have actionable advice that can be used immediately."
To promote the upcoming Check Your Mood Day on Thursday, October 10, 2019, the County of San Diego hosted a booth featuring free mental health resources and locations for Check Your Mood screenings in the community to help raise awareness for mental health.
The goal of Check Your Mood is to engage and encourage San Diegans to monitor and assess their emotional well-being.
To access resources to support your organization: Check Your Mood Resources
Ignite Wellness San Diego - Evolving Workplace Culture
Ignite Wellness San Diego is a local coalition that provides events and workshops to wellness professionals on a variety of topics to support employee wellness. Their goal is to create dynamic events that provide fresh, new content, while also fostering networking opportunities. Founding partners include: UC San Diego Center for Community Health, WestPac Partners, and homePERQs, with new partnership from Coastal Payroll. As a strong supporter of Live Well San Diego, homePERQs (Live Well Profile) and WestPac Partners are recognized partners.