In the wake of the pandemic occupational stress is at all-time high. Businesses are struggling with absenteeism, low morale, injuries, and extremely high levels of burnout. This strain on our workforce has resulted in an unprecedented number of employees experiencing mental health crises, which can occur unexpectedly at any time.
The Connection has a social enterprise, The Institute for Innovative Practice. The Institute provides quality professional development, research, and consultation to help people, communities, and organizations solve problems, adapt to change, and evolve.
To meet the needs of the business community, The Institute has developed a Mental Health Response for organizational leaders and staff alike to recognize and support people experiencing a crisis.
This two-hour training is designed and delivered by mental health professionals. It is intended to empower participants with the skills to recognize the symptoms of the most common mental health conditions, including gambling and substance use disorders, and provide a model of supportive response in the event of a crisis based on validation, engagement, and empathy until help arrives.
During a recent CTStyle segment Deputy Chief of Business Development at The Connection Jessica Smith noted the importance of identifying the early signs that someone in their organization may need help. These include:
> Difficulty engaging or focusing
> Declining level of productivity
> Low morale
> Increased absenteeism
> A lack of steadfast commitment to their work
> Irritability
> Pronounced conflict within a team
Smith also observed that it has become common practice to only scratch the surface of these issues in the workplace because it’s often easier to look away. Fear and lack of knowledge hinder our ability to respond effectively. With the impact as great at it is, businesses cannot afford to ignore the issues facing their employees. The Mental Health Response Training makes it easy to start the conversation and provides a simple, effective action plan to ensure a safe and empathic response to someone in need.
If you are interested in private training for your organization or have additional questions, please contact Nikita Joslyn, LMSW, Business Development Manager at nljoslyn@theconnectioninc.org.