Building a workplace mental health strategy

4. Take action

When it comes to taking action, target solutions to your organization’s own unique needs and objectives. Use data insights to help decide what products and solutions are the best fit.

We also recommend employers have:

Mandatory mental health training for leaders.
The right policies and practices in place.

Making resources available to your employees is also important. We’ve curated some content you can share directly with your employees.

Make mental health training mandatory for all people leaders across the organization. This includes all levels of leadership - from senior leaders to middle managers. Have your senior leader sponsor champion the training to set the tone and get the buy-in from all leaders.

We have free manager mental health training videos to help you build the foundation.

Why is training important?

It can help leaders better understand the links between job stress and health. They can also learn what they can do to support and prevent mental health issues in the workplace. Training should also focus on diversity and inclusivity. By including these topics, leaders will be better equipped to meet their employees ‘where they are.’ It will also help them to respond appropriately.

Make the training easy to access and offer it regularly. Focus on base level information. Your goal is to set a foundation of awareness and understanding across your organization.

Measurable benefits

Researchers at Saint Mary’s University (Dimoff/Kelloway 2013) have shown the potential of mental health training for managers. To learn more about how this can impact your organization read our bright paper.¹

A safe and inclusive workplace is key when an employee returns to work after a mental health-related absence. It’s important for employees and managers to recognize that they need to treat and manage employees with mental health conditions like any other health condition. Support and understanding are critical for ensuring a successful return to work for these employees. When handled sensitively, return to work can aid in an employee’s recovery. Returning to work can help build self-esteem, confidence and social inclusion.

Keys to success:

coordinated return to work plan,
personalized accommodations,
access to mental health treatment.

Essential elements of the plan:

Share clear policies and procedures based on your organization and what you can accommodate document and apply these consistently
Communicate expectations
Develop modified job duties and/or hours
Provide accommodations
Prepare for any necessary interventions
Ask the employee what they need

Duty to accommodate. Take accommodation seriously. Ensure you have best practices and various options in place

Examples include:

reduced hours

slow return to responsibilities

change of job content

Conduct formal ability assessments for returning employees. Understanding these elements will help you recognize and measure any occupational functional gap. To prepare an employee for a return to their job, it’s important to fully understand:

the job requirements

their functional abilities and/or

restrictions and limitations

Find out more about our absence and disability management solutions here

Continued mental health supports. Ensure that returning employees get the mental health supports they need for a successful transition back to the workplace. Privacy laws protect the employee from having to share the nature of their medical leave. However, you can ask the employee what they need to ensure a successful return to work. For example, what type of accommodation will help them? Do they need extra time or a flexible schedule for continuing treatment?

It’s important that employees have adequate psychological services coverage for psychological services through their Extended Health Benefits.

Training: Managers need to understand their roles and responsibilities in the return to work process. Training ensures they have the guidance they need to support their teams. Focus training on:

sensitivity,
preventing and addressing discrimination, and
understanding your organization’s legal obligations around accommodation.

A note about accommodation: In some cases, this could require the capacity for workplace mediation. For example, when the mental disorder was related to workplace bullying/harassment. This is especially important if the employee cannot move to another business unit/team.

Each organization, employee and situation is unique, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Determine what solutions best fit your organization’s and employee’s needs through analysis:

What are the mental health needs of your employees?

Have you done an employee survey recently to ask whether they find value in their benefit plan?
Have you considered the needs of your unique demographics?

Are employees using the resources available to them?

Have you looked at your benefit utilization trends?
Do you have a communication plan to educate and create awareness about what’s available?

Are there any barriers or gaps in support?

Do you have enough coverage for employees to get help when they need it?

Did you know 60% of working Canadians with a mental health issue aren’t using their workplace benefits?² Educating employees about what’s available to them is an easy first step.

Choosing the right solutions

Mental Health Coach (MHC)

The MHC service helps remove barriers preventing plan members from accessing care. It provides early intervention support, and helps:

plan members access appropriate and timely treatment.
improve health outcomes.
reduce short-term disability durations and prevent plan members from going on long-term disability.

Lumino Health Virtual Care’s Stress Management and Well-Being Program

Stress Management and Well-Being is a valuable add-on to Lumino Health Virtual Care. It provides plan members with access to mental heath specialists and resources.

It’s available 24/7, anywhere in Canada, and breaks down barriers to care, by helping plan members access support whenever and wherever they need it.

Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)/Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)

EFAP/EAP are often a great first step for employees who are experiencing mental health challenges. Most of the programs are for the short-term. They’re not intended for long-term use.

Mental health practitioner benefit maximums

Adequate extended health coverage for psychology services is critical.

Cost can be a barrier to treatment, as demonstrated by a recent Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) survey. Sixty-six percent of respondents said a lack of benefits plan coverage is a barrier to seeking treatment.¹

The CPA recommends a standalone annual coverage maximum between $3,500 to $4,000. This amount provides cover for 15 – 20 sessions. This is the number of sessions required to achieve a therapeutic outcome for people suffering from depression or anxiety.

Flexibility with registered providers can also make care more accessible. Confirm which providers are covered by your plan. They could include:

Registered psychologist
Registered social worker
Registered psychotherapist
Clinical counsellors
Marriage and family therapists

Supports for different mental illnesses

People with different mental illnesses can benefit from varying treatment approaches.

For example, there is evidence that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can successfully treat people with depression. It can also be a cost-effective option.

This includes:

online face-to-face Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
modular online programs

From pilot to launch: closing the gaps around access to mental health care. This Bright Paper outlines how online cognitive behavioural therapy and pharmacogenomics can improve mental health outcomes.

Offers support for employees at different stages in their mental health journey

Employees can benefit from a continuum of programs and supports. This ranges from those that

aim to lower the risk of developing poor mental health
reverse or slow down developing of mental illness
help to rehabilitate and treat a specific diagnosed mental illness

Support for different industries/workplaces

Consider the type of industry, employee demographics and job requirements when deciding on the best types of employee mental health supports.

On average 4,000 Canadians take their own life each year. Of those suicides; 75% are men.¹
The proportion of Canadians reporting a diagnosis of depression or anxiety has increased by 30% since the pandemic.² Mental Health Research Canada found that 3/10 Canadians report having had a mental disorder diagnosis.³

Be sure to think about the structures and workplace functions as well. For example, field workers and physical labourers can be hard to reach with typical wellness supports. This is in part because of their scattered and often remote locations.

Workers in remote locations may need to access programs and services virtually. Consider creating a private space where employees can use virtual services. For employees working in the field, you might let them sit in their car while they connect with a practitioner on a mobile device.

Work-from-home employees can also pose unique challenges for the delivery of mental health supports. These employees aren’t connected to the social resources of an in-person team. As a result, they may have unique needs.