Healthy Communities • Healthy Living
3 ways we’re supporting mental health at work
10 May 2019 - by YMCA of Greater Toronto
On Thursday, May 9th, we sowed an entire garden of green, wearing the colour of mental health awareness to show support for Mental Health Week.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental health problem. And every single one of us is affected when our family members, friends, or colleagues experience such problems. So, we all have a reason and responsibility to support mental health.
At the YMCA, we take our staff and volunteers’ mental health just as seriously as we do that of the people we serve. Raising awareness around and support for mental health is vital to creating positive and healthy work environments. That’s why it’s an area of focus in our Diversity and Social Inclusion Strategy (2018-21), and why we invest in the following initiatives for our teams:
Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to partner with mental health and wellness educators to help our teams learn about mental health and what they can do to support it. Through these sessions, our volunteers and staff get a chance to talk openly about mental health. They are also empowered with the knowledge and skills they need to act as ambassadors and build awareness and support for mental health.
This Mental Health Week marks the launch of our first staff Mental Health Group. The committee aims to build a culture of well-being and positive mental health, improve the mental health literacy of YMCA volunteers and staff, and create training and resources our teams can use to improve mental health in the communities we serve — which include our volunteers and staff, who, after all, are members of these communities themselves.
James McNairn, Team Leader at the YMCA Contact Centre, says he joined the mental health group because he wanted to have a positive impact. “At various times throughout my life, I’ve had friends and family who were dealing with different kinds of mental health issues,” says James. “I want to learn how best to support the people I know as they work through these difficult times. I think the Mental Health committee will play an important role in providing Y staff with the tools that will help them gain a better understanding of what mental health is and what they can do to best support those they know either within the Y or outside who are dealing with mental health issues.”
As a team, YMCA volunteers and staff are planting seeds to support mental health. On Thursday, May 9, we sowed an entire garden of green, wearing the colour of mental health awareness to show their support for Mental Health Week. They have also been building gratitude walls, sending positive messages to each other, and taking part in breathing and relaxation activities.
Our garden doesn’t stop growing when Mental Health Week ends. Throughout the year, we’ll be growing conversations about stigma, improvements in mental health literacy, and additional training and resources to improve mental health.
All it takes is one seed to grow a garden of green. Your support makes a big difference in shaping brighter, healthier futures. Check out the Canadian Mental Health Association website to learn more about mental health and how you can support it.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental health problem. And every single one of us is affected when our family members, friends, or colleagues experience such problems. So, we all have a reason and responsibility to support mental health.
At the YMCA, we take our staff and volunteers’ mental health just as seriously as we do that of the people we serve. Raising awareness around and support for mental health is vital to creating positive and healthy work environments. That’s why it’s an area of focus in our Diversity and Social Inclusion Strategy (2018-21), and why we invest in the following initiatives for our teams:
- Learning opportunities
Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to partner with mental health and wellness educators to help our teams learn about mental health and what they can do to support it. Through these sessions, our volunteers and staff get a chance to talk openly about mental health. They are also empowered with the knowledge and skills they need to act as ambassadors and build awareness and support for mental health.
- Staff Mental Health Group
This Mental Health Week marks the launch of our first staff Mental Health Group. The committee aims to build a culture of well-being and positive mental health, improve the mental health literacy of YMCA volunteers and staff, and create training and resources our teams can use to improve mental health in the communities we serve — which include our volunteers and staff, who, after all, are members of these communities themselves.
James McNairn, Team Leader at the YMCA Contact Centre, says he joined the mental health group because he wanted to have a positive impact. “At various times throughout my life, I’ve had friends and family who were dealing with different kinds of mental health issues,” says James. “I want to learn how best to support the people I know as they work through these difficult times. I think the Mental Health committee will play an important role in providing Y staff with the tools that will help them gain a better understanding of what mental health is and what they can do to best support those they know either within the Y or outside who are dealing with mental health issues.”
- Demonstrations of solidarity and support
As a team, YMCA volunteers and staff are planting seeds to support mental health. On Thursday, May 9, we sowed an entire garden of green, wearing the colour of mental health awareness to show their support for Mental Health Week. They have also been building gratitude walls, sending positive messages to each other, and taking part in breathing and relaxation activities.Our garden doesn’t stop growing when Mental Health Week ends. Throughout the year, we’ll be growing conversations about stigma, improvements in mental health literacy, and additional training and resources to improve mental health.
All it takes is one seed to grow a garden of green. Your support makes a big difference in shaping brighter, healthier futures. Check out the Canadian Mental Health Association website to learn more about mental health and how you can support it.
