Mental Health Moments in the Workplace: Reducing Mental Health Stigma One Meeting at a Time

Workshop Presentation
Jasmine Cruz  

This session will share mental health conversations in the workplace that increase awareness, support co-workers, and provide resources for all employees. As organizations and employer benefits programs support employees this session will go beyond the HR role and focus on teams and colleagues. How leaders, managers and peer colleagues each have an important role and responsibility to support and observe all employees and those that are living with a mental health condition. The goal of the session is to highlight and walk through the existing program " Mental Health Moments" that started with a simple conversation and have turned into a standing meeting item during team meetings. Through mental health moments, we can increase workplace language and mental health visibility. Topics are current and in alignment with national mental health campaigns. Research suggests that due to mental health stigma in the workplace there is delayed or default position of disclosure of mental health status in the workplace. Through each mental health moment, we can change and impact that stigma and support one another.