Not Myself Today: Building a Mentally Healthy Workplace

Presenters – St. Thomas University Lori Orchard Human Resources Officer Shannon Clarke Director of Student Services Kelly Humber Kelly Positive Mental Health Champion

Visit notmyselftoday.ca/employees ACTIVITY: Buttons Select a mood button or sticker that represents how you are feeling. Discussion: Did you have difficulty choosing a button/badge? Opportunity to share – why did you choose your button? Goals of this activity: Promotion of Mental Health Better Understanding of Mental Health – get employees talking about their mental health, and reducing stigma in the workplace ACTIVITY: How Are You Feeling Today?

What is Not Myself Today? St. Thomas University is proud to support employee mental health and well-being by participating in the Not Myself Today program, an initiative of Partners for Mental Health.

What is Not Myself Today? Not Myself Today is a national workplace initiative that aims to: Raise awareness of and promote mental health; Reduce stigma around mental illness; To create a culture of support and acceptance of mental health; To provide resources to People Leaders and employees

Why is this important? Mental illness is an issue that affects everyone.

Why is this important? No one is immune from mental health problems or mental illnesses – it affects men and women, young and old, rich and poor, and people of all races and cultures.

Why is this important? Stigma associated with mental health and illness remains a primary barrier to people accessing care. Less than 1/3 of Canadians facing mental health problems or illness report getting help.

Why is this important? Stigma refers to negative attitudes (prejudice) and negative behaviour (discrimination) toward people with mental health problems. Stigma means having fixed ideas and judgments about people, as well as fearing and avoiding what we don’t understand. Source: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. camh.ca/en/hospital/health_information/a_z_mental_health_and_addiction_information/stigma camh.ca/en/hospital/health_information/a_z_mental_health_and_addiction_information/stigma

Why is this important? To be at our best, we need to take care of our mental health, just as we do our physical health. It is also important to have an safe and inclusive environment, free of stigma.

What role can you play? Tools and resources are available to engage employees in a conversation and enable the institution to support mental health and those facing challenges. notmyselftoday.ca/employees Everyone has a role to play in building a mentally healthy workplace.

Positivity can help enhance one’s well-being, and the effects can be long-lasting. Create and give an IOU or Thank-you Card to show your gratitude towards and appreciation of others. Visit notmyselftoday.ca/employees ACTIVITY: Positivity at Work OBJECTIVE of this activity: Fostering a safe and supportive work environment

Not Myself STU St. Thomas University engaged in the “Not Myself Today” program in 2015: “ Piloted Project” with the Student Services and Residence Life Department Goals of the program at STU : Mental Health education within employees; Reduce the stigma surrounding Mental Health issues; Improve the environment at STU to be more supportive and transparent for employees struggling with Mental Health

Not Myself STU WHY Not Myself Today? Lack of understanding on campus: Misconceptions and misunderstandings about Mental Health and Mental Illness; Stigma; Unsure how to identify when a co-worker is in distress; Unsure what to say/do around a co-worker who is struggling, or has just returned from stress leave; Unaware of all the resources available for employees Absenteeism related to Mental Health on the rise. Human Resources recognized a need for better Mental Health education and resources for employees

Not Myself STU How STU Promoted “Not Myself Today” Pilot Project in Student Services and Residence Life: “ Not Myself Today” activities at staff meetings and gatherings; Resources, assessments and videos shared with employees; Worked to make the SSRL office a more supportive, open space for discussing Mental Health and wellness. Mental Health Promotion / Awareness around campus: Posters, online and hard resources and webinars.

Pilot Outcomes – Student Services Organizational health was identified as one of the team’s key priorities for , and workplace mental health being one strategy of improving our team’s overall well-being. Using Not Myself Today, we built connection, empathy, and engagement. Created room for conversation around an issue which was affecting our team. Increased capacity of leaders and members to respond appropriately to mental health needs of the team. Increased employee engagement. Inspired us to be champions of mental health across campus.

Learn more about what to say or how to respond when you encounter different situations at work that involve mental health issues. Available only through your Manager or Campaign Champion. OBJECTIVE of the activity: Reducing Stigma Visit notmyselftoday.ca/employees ACTIVITY: Conversation Starters

Break up into groups (~5 people) Read & discuss the Conversation Starters card, provided. Flip the card to read & discuss tips

Future of the STU Efforts to expand the program to other departments at STU: Meeting with all other department employees to discuss the program and provide resources that they can use in their offices; Providing bi-monthly Webinars for all employees to attend; Providing Leadership and employee support Posters and advertisements around campus and for departments; Providing encouragement, support and guidance for departments to adopt the program for their employees.

Not Myself Today Videos: Jeff Moat - President of Partners for Mental Health Video Jeff Moat - President of Partners for Mental Health Video Success Factors - A New State of Mind Video

Questions/Discussion Questions or comments

For more information, please check out the website: notmyselftoday.ca. Thank you for helping to build a mentally healthy workplace.