Halifax, NS – Nova Scotia’s public service, the Capital District Health Authority and Nova Scotia Community College announced today that they are rolling out an anti-stigma and mental resilience program to be offered to all of their employees. The training course, The Working Mind, was developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada. This announcement follows the successful completion of pilot projects that showed strong preliminary results of increased mental resiliency and reduced stigma towards mental health problems and illnesses.
“Expanding the mental health and anti-stigma training to all employees is a significant step to realizing a key priority of the Nova Scotia Mental Health and Addiction Strategy. This will help to improve employees’ knowledge of programs for addressing mental health and addictions issues in the workplace,” says the Honourable Leo Glavine, Minister of Health and Wellness and Seniors.
The Mental Health Commission of Canada partnered with The Nova Scotia Government, Nova Scotia Community College and Capital District Health Authority to fund pilot projects of The Working Mind. Following completion of these pilot projects in 2014, all three employers are now expanding the training to include all employees and managers.
“Stigma can be worse than the illness itself,” notes Louise Bradley, President and CEO of the MHCC. “We applaud the leadership shown by our partners here in Nova Scotia in reducing stigma and improving the mental health of their employees.”
The Working Mind: Workplace Mental Health and Wellness is an education-based program designed to address and promote mental health and reduce the stigma of mental illness in a workplace setting. The Working Mind is based on the Department of National Defence’s Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR) program. Results from the pilot projects show decreased stigma, increased mental resilience and that employees and managers learned skills to take care of their own mental health and that of their co-workers.
Nova Scotia was the first province in Canada to pilot and then adopt the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s The Working Mind course. Approximately 20,000 Nova Scotia employees will be offered this training as an ongoing commitment.
ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION OF CANADA
The Mental Health Commission of Canada is a catalyst for change. We are collaborating with hundreds of partners to change the attitudes of Canadians toward mental health problems and to improve services and support. Our goal is to help people who live with mental health problems and illnesses lead meaningful and productive lives. Together we create change. The Mental Health Commission of Canada is funded by Health Canada.
www.mentalhealthcommission.ca
Media Contact:
Glenn Johnson, Senior Media Relations Specialist
Mental Health Commission of Canada
Mobile: 1-613-683-3940
gjohnson@mentalhealthcommission.ca
On Site: Meredith Logan, Senior Advisor
Mental Health Commission of Canada
Mobile: 1-613-914-9873
mlogan@mentalhealthcommission.ca
