Workplace Mental Health Help

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Saddlesoap

Saddlesoap

Looking for direction/advice/help

I work in the Veterinary industry: high pressure, long hours and it is leading to mental health concerns within my team.

I am keen to implement some strategies to help the staff, but not sure of the specifics.

I have a review form that asks about burnout, stress, anxiety - how often should I be asking staff to complete them (there are 70 of us).

I have downloaded done information about a wellness policy and we have a mental first aider already.

Any other advice welcome
 
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Isa Drennan

Isa Drennan

An excellent resource would be a “take home checklist” these are incredibly common within healthcare environments, this is a good example https://www.dbth.nhs.uk/news/the-going-home-checklist/

Frequent supervision is a must. This opens up concerns, reflection and take home messages. Consider implementing an opportunity for staff to have a safe place, at a routine period e.g after every shift, to share information. This facilitates early intervention if particular themes are occurring e.g staff feeling concerned with similar issues causing burnout

Encouraging regular breaks too, even a few minutes to walk around the building or time away from the stresses of the job. Avoid patronising “positive” videos, these are incredibly annoying and don’t encourage open discussion!

I don’t think a review form would give honest answers, unless it was anonymised and recorded online. Unfortunately stigma still exists around mental health r.e employment, many people don’t want their employer to know if they’re struggling with their mh, due to fear of stigma and negative repurcussions e.g job loss. A fortnightly online survey, with the reassurance responses will be confidential would probably yield more honesty.
 
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Millyve

Millyve

This is so lovely!

I really struggled a couple years ago and the company I worked for were pretty useless!

I asked if I could be put on a course to help others with mental health and would have been really keen to push a training program for others to speak to in confidence, but I was completely dismissed.

The sad thing is I have noticed many other people with self harm scars on there arms and this just saddens me we don't have healthy discussions about this and that we've all been through our own struggles.

Now with the whole covid pandemic they are trying to push wellness and mental health wellbeing and it just doesn't wash with me! I feel like they just want to say you've done the typical tick box excise to say they've helped the employees out.

I'd love to hear how this goes for you and your colleagues!
 
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Saddlesoap

Saddlesoap

Isa Drennan said:
An excellent resource would be a “take home checklist” these are incredibly common within healthcare environments, this is a good example https://www.dbth.nhs.uk/news/the-going-home-checklist/

Frequent supervision is a must. This opens up concerns, reflection and take home messages. Consider implementing an opportunity for staff to have a safe place, at a routine period e.g after every shift, to share information. This facilitates early intervention if particular themes are occurring e.g staff feeling concerned with similar issues causing burnout

Encouraging regular breaks too, even a few minutes to walk around the building or time away from the stresses of the job. Avoid patronising “positive” videos, these are incredibly annoying and don’t encourage open discussion!

I don’t think a review form would give honest answers, unless it was anonymised and recorded online. Unfortunately stigma still exists around mental health r.e employment, many people don’t want their employer to know if they’re struggling with their mh, due to fear of stigma and negative repurcussions e.g job loss. A fortnightly online survey, with the reassurance responses will be confidential would probably yield more honesty.
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Thank you! The problem with online forms is I know from experience some people just won't fill then in. Also, if it does identify someone is struggling how do I know who it is? I totally get the anonymity idea may lead to more honesty, but also leads to more questions!

I am hoping to have an hour (or more if needed) on a specific day of the week that I will go and sit somewhere a but more private (not worked out where yet!) with kinda a 'open door policy' - like I'm here, come talk to me. I hope that my honesty about my own mental health (I'm on antidepressants and have been for ages) mean people will trust me.

Also is there any sort of indicator tool that I can give people to help identify themselves that they are struggling. I am certain there is someone who is struggling (and was before COVID) but there is no way they recognise it in themselves.
 
S

Sunflower91

I used to be a part of my companies mental health committee and found Mind to be really helpful with resources and guides to things like stress, anxiety and burnout. We also trained two people to be mental health first aides where people can stop by/ drop them an email confidentially and they will help.

Personally I’ve always felt like the thing that helps the most is just starting the discourse. Myself and a few others spoke to the business about our own struggles and the response was really positive in terms of creating an atmosphere where people can be open about their mental health.
 
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Isa Drennan

Isa Drennan

Saddlesoap said:
Thank you! The problem with online forms is I know from experience some people just won't fill then in. Also, if it does identify someone is struggling how do I know who it is? I totally get the anonymity idea may lead to more honesty, but also leads to more questions!

I am hoping to have an hour (or more if needed) on a specific day of the week that I will go and sit somewhere a but more private (not worked out where yet!) with kinda a 'open door policy' - like I'm here, come talk to me. I hope that my honesty about my own mental health (I'm on antidepressants and have been for ages) mean people will trust me.

Also is there any sort of indicator tool that I can give people to help identify themselves that they are struggling. I am certain there is someone who is struggling (and was before COVID) but there is no way they recognise it in themselves.
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Self disclosure of your own experience, definitely encourages breaking down potential barriers, staff may feel empowered by your story and supported to get help. This video is great to open up discussion, it makes us think, about how trauma can impact us all differently



You could end the survey, by inviting people to disclose how they feel. Create a page signposting to numbers, such as the Samaritans. Add how you have an open door policy, but also mention other resources, e.g your occupational health dept to seek support.

This way you’ve checked in, then emphasised how approachable you are. Begin the form, before any questions, with a disclaimer on why you’re seeking these responses.


For indicator tool try this

 
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1001 others

1001 others

How will this information be handled - will all the responses be referred to a third party (a mental health professional), or will you/someone else in the practice view the results? If it's a case of the latter, you might find people won't be honest in their feedback as they'll worry about the percussions.

Here in NZ I've worked for a lot of companies who have offered a 'workplace assistance programme'. Mention of it is made upon joining the company (a pamphlet is included with employees' contracts), and it's also on the intranet. In short, it's a counseling service for anything at all mental health-related; depending on the workplace's arrangement, they might cover the first, or a number of sessions. The employee does have to go through HR to organise it, but they're not privy to exactly what the employee has sought help for.

I was working in a corporate office in Wellington when the massive Christchurch earthquake hit 10 years ago, killing many, and each department head called a meeting to do a welfare check on everyone and assure them that our Christchurch-based colleagues were being well cared for, and remind everyone that the workplace assistance programme was available for those who needed help. Other than that, it barely got a mention. People just knew about it and acted of their own accord if they needed it.
 
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Fizzwhizz2020

Fizzwhizz2020

Saddlesoap said:
Looking for direction/advice/help

I work in the Veterinary industry: high pressure, long hours and it is leading to mental health concerns within my team.

I am keen to implement some strategies to help the staff, but not sure of the specifics.

I have a review form that asks about burnout, stress, anxiety - how often should I be asking staff to complete them (there are 70 of us).

I have downloaded done information about a wellness policy and we have a mental first aider already.

Any other advice welcome
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I would use something like anonymous surveys to get a clear picture as not everyone will be or will feel that they can be honest on a form. There are lots of companies that set them up for you and all results are anonymous. You can also see the % on each questions so others can see that they’re not the only ones feeling a certain way
 
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