Mental Health in the Workplace
A candid conversation with Abbie Rosenberg, RN PMHNP Founder, Executive Director
Thank you for joining me! Tell me about the work that your organization does. What makes you passionate about this work?
Mental Health Collaborative is a nonprofit organization with the mission of Building Resilient Communities through Mental Health Education and Awareness. We are very passionate about the need and right of everyone to have a foundational education in Mental Health Literacy to live their best lives and understand how to help those they love and care about in regards to mental health.
What is Mental Health Literacy?
Mental health literacy is the knowledge and competencies covering four separate but interrelated topics: understanding how to obtain and maintain good mental health; understanding mental illnesses and their treatments; decreasing stigma; and enhancing help-seeking efficacy, such as knowing when and where to seek help, and what to expect in that process.
What are some of the trends you are seeing in organizations that want to provide more education or support for their employees related to mental health?
The past two years have presented unique emotional, professional, and social challenges. Although mental health challenges have steadily been on the rise for years, the virus and resulting pandemic have brought it to the forefront of our minds. Employers are becoming more aware of the need for mental health education and support for their employees. Surveys have repeatedly shown that employees are hungry for mental health education in the workplace. While employers may think that their employees are too busy for additional training, the reality is that bringing mental health education into the workplace can significantly improve productivity, and this shared knowledge and education can bring people together, improving team building and connection in the workplace, in addition to improving our overall health.
At Mental Health Collaborative we take a proactive and preventative approach to teaching about mental health and the various ways it can impact all of us. Preventative education and knowledge give us tools to communicate and address problems before they become too serious.
This can be a hard subject for some. What kind of training works best in the workplace and how have people responded?
Talking about mental health is usually a topic that we dance around or avoid, and this is especially true in the workplace. Our corporate training does work well because we talk openly about normal mental health issues that impact everyone, mental health challenges, and illnesses that nobody is immune from, yet we don’t expect or ask individuals to share any details about their own mental health. This is a non-threatening way to talk about a topic that impacts all of us in our careers, our relationships, and at home.
How can people learn more?
To learn more about any of our programming visit our website at: www.mentalhealthcollaborative.org or direct emails to: info@mentalhealthcollaborative.org