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Home > Fit for Work > 015 How to identify the mental health pulse of your workplace


	Podcast:		Fit for Work
	Episode:		015 How to identify the mental health pulse of your workplace
	Category:		Business
	Duration:		00:58:47
	Publish Date:		2017-02-04 12:00:48
	Description:		HOW TO IDENTIFY THE MENTAL HEALTH PULSE OF YOUR WORKPLACE 1 in 4 Aussies experience anxiety each year (Beyond blue). 1 in 7 Aussies experience depression each year (Black Dog Institute). 45% of us suffer from a mental illness in our lifetime (Beyond Blue). So if mental illness effects almost half of us, it impacts EVERY workplace. But as much as we’re becoming increasingly aware of the need to do something about supporting mental health in the workplace, there still seems to be a gap in the knowledge of what to do and where to start. One of the biggest battles is getting mental health on the agenda. Then how do you even measure the mental health pulse of your workplace? What interventions work? Where does the support need to come from – bottom up or top down? And what are some economic benefits of being proactive in this space verses being an ostrich with your head in the sand? Welcome to episode 15 of the Fit for Work Podcast. In this episode I interview Margo Lydon the CEO of SuperFriend an organisation which has access to half of Australians workforce and exists to promote suicide prevention and boost the mental health culture of our workplaces. What does a mentally healthy workplace even look like? Well thats something SuperFriend sought to find out through conducting a national survey to establish 38 desired state characteristics with which to benchmark Aussie workplaces against. In 2015 and then again in 2016 SuperFriend surveyed over 1000 business owners, managers and frontline staff from a host of industries to learn the mental health pulse of their respective organisations. From here they’ve developed evidence based and practical tools which can then be used to address any irregular or undesirable pulses. Margo shares that education is one of the best ways you can equip yourself and your organisation to be mentally healthy, so a virtual high 5 to you for diving into this Podcast so you won’t be one of the ostriches. Prepare to learn something new and some compelling reasons why you don’t want to be an ostrich through my interview with Margo… Lets get mental health on the agenda… INTRODUCTING SUPERFRIEND… SuperFriend are the only mental health organisation partnering with superannuation funds and group insurers to gain knowledge of the Financial Services Industry’s mental health needs and respond to them with a tailored approach. Through these unique relationships, SuperFriend has access to embed mental health and wellbeing best practices into 750,000 workplaces and more than half of Australia’s 11 million-strong workforce. WORK IN PROGRESS REPORT – A national snapshot of workplace mental health and wellbeing One of the key pieces of research undertaken by SuperFriend was a project to identify what success looks like in this space – what are the key, measurable characteristics of a mentally healthy workplace. A national survey was undertaken in 2015 and 2016 to assess nationally how Australian workplaces compare to the identified desired state. WHY THE NEED FOR A WORKPLACE MENTAL HEALTH BASELINE? There was no real definition for a mentally healthy workplace SuperFriend conducted a national survey to establish a desired state for mentally healthy workplaces 38 desired state characteristics were established to benchmark the mental health of workplaces against This survey tool is made freely available to help measure the mental health pulse of your organisation SURPRISES FROM THE SURVEY 16% of respondents said that mental health training is available for managers 50% of respondence have had a personal experience with mental health issues 29% of people said they’d worked with someone with a mental health condition – meaning that many of the 45% of people with mental illness are ‘suffering in silence’. Only 18% of people feel that a known mental health condition wouldn’t impact employment or promotion opportunities. Meaning we need to reduce the stigma of mental illness in the workplace. Difference between 2015 and 2016 WIP reports reveal that there’s an increased expectation for workplaces to provide a psychologically safe workplace and reduced tolerance for psychologically unsafe workplace cultures. Small organisations have a greater sense of ‘family’ despite the smaller resources or budgets for mental health training. Large organisations have resources and budgets to create mentally healthy workplaces however can often be compliance driven rather than displaying a culture of genuine care. 80% of organisations have adequate physical safety and wellbeing measures in place verses only 60% have adequate mental safety and wellbeing measures in place. The higher you go in an organisation the ‘rosier the glasses’. There is a substantial gap between the owners and managers perception of the mental health status of their organisation verses the frontline staffs perception. BARRIERS TO SUPPORTING MENTALLY HEALTHY WORKPLACES Lack of understanding and training of mental health issues Not sure where to start Tendency to focus on physical over mental safety and wellbeing Perceived lack of time Operational activities take priority Move from legislative obligation to ethical responsibility PRACTICAL WAYS WE CAN FACILITATE MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK Interventions address the following 3 domains of mental health: • Prevention • Intervention • Specialist mental health interventions Domain 1: Prevention • People greet each other in the morning • Managers are accessible when you need them and will listen • Managers give clear guidance on priorities and what is expected of employees and provide feedback • The culture encourages open discussion about issues affecting mental health and wellbeing and performance Domain 2: Intervention • Support is available to help people optimise work-life balance • Leave is monitored and managed to ensure people take regular holidays • Workloads are monitored and managed to avoid burnout • Workplace programs to improve mental and physical health Domain 3: Specific mental health intervention • Access to external support services and internal support services • People with known mental health issues would have an equal chance of employment or promotion • Good return to work policies and practices for those who have had time off with mental and physical health problems • Managers have the knowledge and skills to be able to effectively support employees with mental health issues STEPS TO IMPROVE WORKPLACE MENTAL HEALTH Complete an audit and establish a baseline Forums for mental wellness Engage senior leadership Develop a plan Clear Comms strategy Build internal capacity If budget is tight prioritise training your frontline managers in workplace mental health and wellbeing and suicide prevention THE BUSINESS CASE We know that people, whether they’re experiencing a mental illness or not, can thrive and flourish. Having a workplace that’s psychologically supportive and allows people experiencing tough times to recover and stay at work is mutually beneficial. “We need to catch people before they fall” – SuperFriend “Never let a person to tell you no who doesn’t have the power to say yes “- Eleanor Roosevelt RESOURCES Wellbeing Works Tool WORK IN PROGRESS Report 2015 WORK IN PROGRESS Report 2016 Promoting Positive Mental Health – Guideline for organisations Peer Support Booklet SuperFriend Mental Health and Wellbeing Training Superfriend eNewsletter Mentally healthy workplace alliance Heads Up – creating a mentally healthy workplace Victorian Workplace Mental Health Collaboration The 38 Desired State indicators online survey tool is currently in development by SuperFriend. It will be available for use within your organisation in mid 2017. CONTACT SUPERFRIEND Website – www.superfriend.com.au Email – info@superfriend.com.au LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/superfriend Facebook – SuperFriendMHF Twitter – @SuperFriendMHF Instagram – @superfriendmhf I’m so happy to be bringing you this thought leadership and I trust you got a lot of value out of todays episode with Margo. Until next time, continue being part of the solution in taking your workplace from good to great… Continue the conversation at www.fitforworkaustralia.com.au, say hi on LinkedIn or flick us a personal note at sally@fitforworkaustralia.com.au. To share this message and others with a larger audience, I’d be so thrilled if you could jump onto iTunes or Stitcher and subscribe, rate and review the Fit for Work Podcast in just 3 easy steps.
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