Beyond awareness: think ‘prevention’ in your workplace mental health strategy
According a report published by the National Mental Health Commission, mental health issues cost Australian businesses a staggering $11 billion dollars each year. But the cost doesn’t end there. From leave of absences that puts strain on other colleagues, to the spike in risk to others with no other choice but to shoulder their load, mental health issues pose a real risk to us all.
So beyond conventional Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) what can employers do to ensure they’re actively working to prevent this kind of ‘unseen’ damage from occurring in the first place, and ensure their employees are feeling at the top of their game to perform at their very best every day?
A proactive approach
At Premium Health we believe a challenge of this nature requires a preventative strategy that empowers managers, supervisors and colleagues to form a support network in identifying and responding to signs of mental health issues and illness in the workplace before further difficulties (and costs) arise.
And as with any workplace health and safety strategy, a big part of this preventative strategy involves contextualised training delivered by experienced healthcare professionals. Which is where we come in.
Designed by psychologists and delivered by experienced mental health sector professionals, Premium Health’s new range of mental health courses and workshops go beyond ‘general awareness’ to help Australian businesses design and implement practical, preventative strategies and solutions to mental health issues as they appear in a professional setting – all contextualised to their place of work:
Suited to HR personnel and all managers, Premium Health’s new ‘Advanced Mental Health Awareness + Effective Conversations: 8 Hour Workshop’ is a great place to start. With the help of scripting and role plays, learn innovative implementation strategies and build a framework to guide appropriate response to concerns about an employee’s mental health.
And because every employee has a role to play in creating a mentally healthy workplace, Premium Health’s ‘Staying Well @ Work: a 1 Day Advanced Workshop’ is available to help your team discuss key individual and organizational factors in maintaining health at work, from forming a positive workplace culture to maximising mental health outcomes and developing a self-management plan.
Bringing it all together
Australia has come leaps and bounds in the way we look at mental health in the workplace. But at Premium Health, we believe there’s still a lot of work to be done. For further information about our range of mental health courses and workshops call our friendly customer service team on 1300 721 292.