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New toolkit promotes psychologically safe workplaces during COVID-19
COVID-19 has challenged employers everywhere to rethink the way they operate. In Canada, the easing of restrictions has allowed many businesses to resume operations and welcome staff back to the workplace. But working during a pandemic is not business as usual, and the changes employers make can have a drastic impact on the mental and physical health of their staff.
“Creating a safe workplace isn’t just about protecting physical health,” said Liz Horvath, manager of Workplace Mental Health at the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), “it must also include psychological safety. The effects of the pandemic will be with us for some time, but employers can play an important role in taking proactive measures to get ahead of the anticipated mental illness curve.”
To help them navigate this new role, the MHCC’s Opening Minds team created the Building Mental Health into Operations During COVID-19 Toolkit. The toolkit is a collection of guidelines, tip sheets, videos, conversation guides, and other resources to help employers and workers weave mental health into the fabric of their workplace.
One upcoming resource in the toolkit will be a series of guidelines to help employers address the key workplace factors that can affect staff members’ mental health during a pandemic. These factors are based on the National Standard of Canada on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, a framework developed by the MHCC and CSA Group to help promote mental health and prevent psychological harm at work.
“These guidelines are about more than reacting to the pandemic in an ad-hoc way,” Horvath explained. “We want to encourage employers to build mental health into their operations proactively so they can get through the current pandemic and be better equipped for future crises. While Canada has fared relatively well during the pandemic, we have to be prepared to ride the waves that may come.”
The guidelines encourage those in leadership positions to remember that workers may be facing a range of challenges outside of work during a pandemic. “When we talk about performance, we have to talk about mental health,” said Horvath.
“Stress is cumulative, she added. “The hardships we experience away from work affect us while we’re working and vice versa. By integrating workers’ mental health into their operations, leaders can reduce their overall stress. Its about managing energy well, so people can work well and live well.”
To support workers through the pandemic, the guidelines encourage managers to
- practise empathetic listening
- understand and address the psychological impact of changes to the physical workplace
- give workers a safe space to openly share their needs and concerns
- prepare to make accommodations for workers requiring additional support.
The guide also addresses the issue of stigma, since very often, workers won’t speak up about mental health concerns, either out of a fear of being judged by peers or because of self-stigma. Workplaces that provide staff with mental health education and encourage open dialogue about mental health concerns can reduce stigma in the workplace and prompt those who need help to seek it sooner. Employers also need to manage the rise of blaming and shaming others that can occur during a pandemic by ensuring that workers receive psychological protection against the discrimination and harassment associated with social stigma and xenophobia.
The good news, according to research, is that correctly managing emergencies and disasters can have positive effects on workers’ mental health, including increased morale, resilience, and compassion.
“This pandemic has brought people together in an unprecedented way,” noted Horvath. “We can recreate that same spirit of connection and support in the workplace, as long as we’re willing to put in the work.”
Amber St. Louis
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Going virtual to support essential workers and post-secondary students
In mid-March, as the world was grinding to a halt, the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s (MHCC’s) Opening Minds team knew it was time to get busy.
“Our face-to-face training had come to a standstill literally overnight,” explained Mike Pietrus, the director of the program, which is the MHCC’s training arm. “But we also knew we had mental health and resiliency training that needed to get into the hands of essential workers.”
And that’s exactly what the team pulled together to do.
“As they were adjusting to a global pandemic, working remotely and caring for their own families, they completely overhauled the training so it could be delivered virtually and at no cost to the people on the front lines of the crisis,” said Pietrus.
Louise Bradley, the MHCC’s president and CEO, remains in awe of the response. “I would have to describe this undertaking as nothing short of heroic,” she said, noting that over 400 free courses have been delivered to more than 4,000 essential workers.
The MHCC’s learning specialists took the most relevant components of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and The Working Mind (TWM), and compressed each into two-hour, interactive sessions to teach people how to look after their mental health and how to care for others. An additional one-hour course was created specifically to help managers care for their teams.
Pietrus noted that the experience required the team to do its homework and learn about virtual best practices. “But in mounting this incredible response, we are now poised and ready to begin rolling out our most-loved training courses virtually,” he said, referring to the training suite that includes MHFA and TWM and its variations.
“Our first offering,” he explained, “is going to be The Inquiring Mind Post-Secondary,” which provides mental health and resiliency training for college and university students. “We figured they were a natural first choice. Not only do they tend to be more comfortable with virtual interaction, they’ll also soon be coping with a tremendously different academic environment and need support to navigate a range of new challenges.”
Beginning in August, post-secondary institutions will be able to offer the training, which has also been overhauled in a big way.
“We learned a lot from preparing our free crisis training courses,” said Rebecca Richardson, learning specialist with MHFA and Opening Minds. “You can’t just take the face-to-face format and deliver it online. It doesn’t translate. We had to really do our research and bone up on how to make sure we were effectively engaging with participants.”
That engagement included expanding the course to four 45-minute modules or a single three-hour course. Small groups will have the opportunity to brainstorm solutions for challenging situations, seek participants’ opinions through online polls and quizzes, and ensure that any who feel triggered by the material are connected to mental health supports.
“We needed to find a way to manage all these moving pieces,” said Pietrus, and that turned out to be creating a new role in the virtual classroom to support the facilitator. “We engage producers to handle the technical aspects of delivering the course, so the instructor could zero in on the material.”
The result of the pilot testing, at Bishop’s University and Laurentian University, speaks for itself.
“Over 82 per cent of course participants were confident they could apply the knowledge and skills they learned when they were in everyday situations,” said Richardson. “After observing both pilots, I was encouraged and inspired by the students’ energy and passion and their willingness to discuss challenging topics — even in a virtual setting.”
Bishop’s student Chloe Kendall said she found “the course extremely insightful. It helped me understand my own mental health and gain awareness of how other people might be feeling. The knowledge I gained in two days will last me a lifetime.”
Richardson is convinced that this willingness to embrace vulnerability and seek support will be essential for fostering mental wellness as students return to school this fall.
“Many will be looking for strategies to cope with the stresses of remote learning and social isolation, as well as ways to discuss and make sense of their experiences over the last few months. Moving The Inquiring Mind course to a virtual format in time for the autumn semester will help post-secondary institutions support students through these challenges.”
Visit TWM’s Inquiring Mind Post-Secondary Virtual page to find out where courses are being offered.
Suzanne Westover
Catherine Willinsky (Winter 2020 Cohort)
Schizophrenia Society of Canada
Cannabis & Psychosis: Exploring the Link Project (cannabisandpsychosis.ca)
Because of the virtual nature of our project, and the way we were already used to working, we have been able to forge ahead with our project and KT plan without much interference from the new reality of working during COVID-19. Our team has been used to meeting by Zoom since the beginning of the project, as we’re all in different locations, and we launched our new website on April 20th without any major issues. The only thing that we have encountered is that we were hoping to have some media attention to accompany our launch. While we were able to achieve some coverage, it was not to the extent what we had hoped for, given the intensive coverage of COVID-19. We will reach out to the media for Mental Health Week.
I realize that we may be among the few projects that have not been profoundly affected by the new reality. We’re very fortunate in that we’ve been able to launch during these times because we anticipate that like alcohol, many people may be increasing their cannabis use at this time and may have questions and concerns. We’ve already received a number of inquiries and messages from young people who have found our site and have reached out to share their stories and their concerns and engage with the information on the site. We’ve also started a major outreach effort, contacting a range of national mental health, substance use, youth serving and educational organizations in mental health, and have also begun a comprehensive social media campaign.
#ktfromhome
We know these past 4 months have been unusual to say the least. We have all reacted to the worldwide pandemic in our own way, doing the best we can every single day.
Well, the time has finally arrived across our country…dogs and humans alike have been groomed and patios are open for business. While most Canadians are excited to return to the new “normal”, we need to realize that some may be experiencing additional stressors as communities/workplaces strive to return to “business as usual”.
We know these past 4 months have been unusual to say the least. We have all reacted to the worldwide pandemic in our own way, doing the best we can every single day. We haven’t had a guide, there isn’t a “Living Through a Pandemic for Dummies” book; though someone may write one down the road.
As summer moves along, it’s important we don’t lose site of our own mental wellness. In our Mental Health First Aid courses we provide participants with a conversation guide to use when providing support to those that may be struggling with their mental wellness. The same questions we ask of others, we can ask of ourselves.
Start by checking in with yourself and asking, “how am I doing?”, “what has changed?”, “how long have I been feeling this way?”. When asking these questions, it’s important to listen and pick up on signs that you may be stressed. Sometimes we don’t recognize these signs when we’re struggling; this takes time and self-awareness of any changes you’re experiencing. For myself, frequent sighing indicates my stress levels are rising. That’s my sign I need to reach out to supports and do a better job of maintaining my stress.
We’re always the hardest on ourselves so give yourself reassurance by realizing it’s ok to feel this way. But remember, the longer you notice/feel any changes it’s a good indication it’s time to reach out to supports. Think back to another time you felt stressed or overwhelmed, ask yourself what helped during that time. Did you reach out to family/friends? Did you phone a professional, i.e. family doctor, counselor/therapist? Did you phone a distress centre or crisis line? Maybe you spent more time practicing self-care by going for a hike, gardening, meditating or unplugging from social media. Sometimes we just need to remind ourselves we have the skills and resources to manage our stressors, we tend to forget when overwhelmed or struggling.
As I wrap up, I leave you with one of my favourite quotes “So far you’ve survived 100% of your bad days. You’re doing great!”. As always, be kind to yourselves in all that you do and think.
Keep well,
Denise
As workplaces and organizations beginning to re-open on a gradual basis, it is critical they put a focus on the mental health of their staff and employees.
Employers will need to be cautious and strategic, both to prevent additional outbreaks, and to manage the mental health impacts. There is a chance that some people will be more nervous about being around others and returning to the physical work environment
With this in mind, here are 8 key tips for employers returning to operations in the new “normal”:
- Set specific recovery targets and procedures for implementing relevant activities
- Consider the needs of employees in their personal life
- Think if a staggered return to work is possible for your staff
- Ensure protective equipment is available for everyone
- If equipment is being returned to the workplace, make disinfection products available
- Remember to be proactive with follow up and healthy debriefing methods
- Document lessons learned during the pandemic and revise policies and procedures accordingly
- Continue to identify and address the psychological stressors that could be affecting workers in their physical work environment and their work-related interactions with others
INFOGRAPHIC DOWNLOAD: Managing Workplace Mental Health Through Pandemic
Guidelines to Support Employers Through the COVID-19 Pandemic
Learn more about building mental health into operations during a pandemic by signing up to receive the Guidelines to Support Employers Through the COVID-19 Pandemic here.
Temporary Work from Home During Pandemic Response
During the response to a pandemic, many organizations have implemented work from home arrangements. These arrangements generally do not come under the usual work at home or flexible workplace arrangement policies. The arrangements are in response to the need to support employees in protecting themselves and others from infection. As employees are working from home, they are also managing other aspects of the overall pandemic response, such as self-isolation, quarantine if needed, caring for others in the household, homeschooling children, sharing internet and working space with others in the home, connecting with others virtually, grocery and supply runs, etc.
It is important to support the physical and psychological health and safety of employees in their efforts to work from home.
This health and safety checklist can be used to gather feedback from employees to help to meet their needs. It is based on the key applicable workplace factors outlined in the National Standard of Canada on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace and occupational health and safety management principles.
Health and safety of workers who work from home is a dual responsibility of the employer and the employee.
So, you have a great idea, you think it can work! You just need to get people to put this great tool, course, or other resource into practice so that you can impart some amazing knowledge and make real positive change!
But where do you begin? How do you begin think about knowledge translation and starting to plan out how you will make it happen?
It all starts with purpose. We have all heard the term find your why, or maybe even read the book Start with Why by best selling author, Simon Sinek. Your purpose is your why, but many of us find defining the purpose of our knowledge translation projects to be the first major stumbling block in our plan. There are a few methods to help us define the purpose to get us over that first hurdle!
Purposes can be collaborative, or they can be decided solely by an organization or individual. There are different times and different situations where each would be the most effective.
Collaborative Purpose: This type of purpose determination is done by negotiating the purpose with key stakeholders including people with lived experience and caregivers of people with lived experience. This approach is best used when stakeholder investment of time and energy in the Knowledge Translation process is necessary to the success of a project.
Direct-Decision Purpose: This type of purpose is created without engaging stakeholders. It is most commonly used when there is a definitive need to provide a solution to a clear and proven issue, challenge or problem.
Once you determine whether your purpose will be created with input from others or if you and your organization will directly decide the purpose of your project, you should begin by asking some questions to help you zone in on a clear purpose that you can easily express.
What is the issue that you are trying to address?
· Whether you are creating your purpose collaboratively or directly it is important to clearly identify and articulate the issue, challenge or problem your idea/innovation/knowledge translation is trying to address.
What are your objectives? What practice or policy are you trying to improve?
- It is important to determine what your knowledge translation project trying to accomplish or achieve.
- Think about how your knowledge translation project might make a positive impact on a current practice or policy within the mental health and addictions system. Be as specific as possible. This may often be linked to the problem or issue you are trying to address.
What are the desired outcomes? What would be different if this knowledge were translated successfully?
- Look at how you expect or would like your knowledge translation project to impact the area in which you are working. Your outcomes are the measurable effects the project will accomplish through successful knowledge translation. Outcomes can be quantitative or qualitative but should be measurable.
When considering all of these questions, write out your ideas and the ideas of others who might be contributing to the development of the purpose. The more answers you have to your questions the better. Once you get through all of the questions and write out all of your answers you can sort through your ideas and start to hone in on your purpose. What are some of the common themes in your thoughts and ideas?
Start to eliminate any redundancy in the ideas you have written out and begin to narrow in on a clear purpose statement that highlights:
- The issue or challenge you are aiming to overcome
- Your objectives in how you will overcome your identified challenge or issue, and
- The desired outcomes of your project and what you hope to change/impact.
Once you have a clear purpose, you can start moving forward in developing your Knowledge Translation plan and get closer to moving from knowledge to action!
Alexa Bol has a Graduate degree in Community Studies and Global change and more than 15 years of experience in the non-profit sector. Before coming to the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), Alexa worked in Community and International Development where she used participatory approaches to create positive change at both grassroots and system levels. As Manager of Knowledge Mobilization, Opening Minds at the MHCC, Alexa is dedicated to seeing knowledge translated into action throughout the Mental Health and Addictions sectors in a manner that includes and values all voices.
The purpose of this guideline is to help support the mental health of workers by reducing the potential for negative effects of poor ergonomics in temporary work at home situations.
During a critical event, some or all workers in an organization might be required to work at home for a period of time. This is not a business as normal situation. The duration of work at home may vary and may be unknown, depending on the nature of the event and the nature of the work. It can be difficult for workers to adapt, particularly if the situation has affected multiple workplaces, schools and community supports.
While a worker may seek comfort while working at home temporarily, it is important to understand that comfort does not always minimize risk, particularly if the worker is in deep focus or if their “comfortable” position is the result of poor posture. It is also important to recognize that a worker may feel the need to push through a task despite discomfort or pain.
Practicing good ergonomics in temporary work at home situations can be quite challenging. However, it is important, because ergonomics can affect a worker’s physical and mental health, and their ability to function in work and personal situations.
Management and workers need to work together to ensure good ergonomic practice in a temporary work at home situation. In many cases, workers may not have an “ideal” set up to facilitate work from home as they might in a permanent work from home situation. Even if the worker does have a home office, in cases such as a critical event that affects multiple organizations, there may be others in the home sharing that space.
A worker may have a home office with a good ergonomic set up or they may be working at their kitchen table, or on their couch, in another room of the home, or even on their floor. Requiring a worker to have a typical office ergonomic set up could increase stress for a worker who does not have access to the space, equipment or privacy to have such a set up. However, supporting the ergonomic needs of the worker with consideration of the other challenges they may be dealing with can help to ease the strain on the body and mind in situations where workers may be working in less than ideal set ups.
Author: Unknown
When I first began my position as a Knowledge Broker, many times I found myself smirking at loved one’s reactions when I attempted to explain my job and the work that I do.
Claiming that “I deal in knowledge,” isn’t always the wisest way to explain the need for Knowledge Translation (KT).
You see, after I finished grad school, I decided to intentionally “do” theory by throwing myself into front-line work. I was frustrated with the reality that a lot of the knowledge that we were being taught in school simply remained within our classrooms. This was confirmed when I was a front-line worker within women’s shelters. Sadly, I discovered that most of the theory that I studied in school wasn’t being implemented within the shelters! And there my friends, is a perfect example of knowledge translation.
In short, KT is bridging the two worlds of knowledge and action together.
“Innovation to Implementation Guide (I2I)” explains KT in the following way: “Research has established that there is a substantial gap from the time new knowledge is created to when it is put into practice. The field of Knowledge Translation (KT) has emerged as a response to this gap.”
Believe me, it took much trial and error to get a grasp on a fuller picture of what KT is and why we need it. Here are a few tips that I have learned along the way that clarifies KT myths from reality.
Myth #1
KT is only for researchers in academia.
Reality:
Anyone can use KT! KT is a valuable tool that acts as a bridge for knowledge to influence practice.
Past SPARK participants have showcased the diversity of KT through their different projects. Whether it was through creating a support group for newcomer Muslim mothers, or working towards more effective strategies to help problem gamblers, their work demonstrates the diversity of KT.
Myth #2
KT can only be used within the Health field.
Reality:
KT can be used across many fields and disciplines. KT invites us all to put valuable knowledge into practice in order to bring about transformative change. For example, past SPARK participants have tackled diverse topics such as a focus on the Corrections and prison industry, and the exploration of new methods to train peer supporters within marginalized communities. Their ideas were inspired by the desire to transform the populations that they worked with.
Myth #3
KT is only necessary to meet grant application requirements
Reality:
KT is not limited to assessments or applications! KT can be used in countless ways; in community organizing, to improve services and policies within organizations etc. The best thing to remember is that KT turns knowledge into action. If you consider KT within this mindset, you can practically apply this process to any project that needs to move from theory into practice. KT is about “doing knowledge”, not so much about “showing how you will incorporate knowledge.” Don’t get me wrong, we love grant applications! But KT is not restricted to them alone.
Now that you have learned a little more about KT, what’s stopping you from using it within your own work?
Elizabeth Peprah is a current PhD Student in Human and Social Services with a concentration in Community Intervention and Leadership at Walden University. She is a graduate of a master’s degree in Women’s and Gender Studies at Carleton University where she researched the connection between mental health and sexual assault trauma. Elizabeth further discovered the importance of adequate mental health services for victimized women while working with women in a bail residency program with the Elizabeth Fry Society of Ottawa. She blogs on gender-based violence at serwaaspeaks.com and has been a Knowledge Broker with the MHCC since January 2020.
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