May is mental health awareness month, but what can managers do for employee mental health? As we spend a significant portion of our lives working, it makes sense that this can affect our mental health in both positive and negative ways. We certainly can perform better when we’re in the right frame of mind.
So what can managers do? First, make sure you make it easy for staff to get help if needed. Publish your mental health benefits frequently with associated contact and/or access information. We tend to ignore things unless/until needed, so sending out the information once/year doesn’t cut it. The easier it is for employees to access care and the more frequently they’re reminded of it, the greater the likelihood that when they need it, it will be used.
If you don’t have benefits or benefits are limited, list out free resources in your area; have them posted somewhere employees have easy access (or send email reminders for those who are remote). National organizations include SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Nami (National Alliance for Mental Illness), https://www.nami.org/, and the US Department of Health and Human Services, https://www.hhs.gov/programs/index.html among others.
In Texas, you can contact Texas Health and Human Services, https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/mental-health-substance-use/mental-health-substance-use-resources. Other states have their own departments with resources available.
Odds are good you have local resources as well. Check with your local libraries, Chamber of Commerce, and City Councils to see if they know of area resources.
We need to take care of ourselves, our families, and our employees. Providing these resources is the right thing to do and can benefit us all.
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