The importance of asking ‘R U OK?’

Many of you may now be familiar with my personal reasons behind supporting mental health and wellbeing having lost my father to suicide when I was only 32 years old. With Father’s Day just past it’s always a tough 24 hours but it’s a day I stop to remember him and all we shared, but it’s also a time to reflect on how I can continue to keep him alive in some small way.

‘Ambition hardened and urgency took hold’ – Tony Blair

Simple words written in Tony Blair’s autobiography which have guided me for the last 16 years. We only get one life; we must make the most of it and that means to celebrate life’s victories and to learn from life’s defeats. If we can help as many people as we can along the way, then that is a life well lived. Ever since this immeasurable loss I’ve made it a personal mission to do whatever I can to stop others from suffering the same fate as Dad.

Healthy workplaces are supportive ones. They place the health and wellbeing of employees first, treat each member as a vital part of the team and promote work-life balance. Icon has introduced a number of programs and initiatives to help promote the importance of mental health and support team members across our international network. Here’s some of the ways we are committed to caring:

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Access to a confidential, specialised EAP program available to all team members worldwide. This program provides complimentary sessions and access to counselling over the phone, via video call or in-person. Employers are able to confidentially access this service for any problems they may be having be it within the workplace or in their personal lives.

Mental health first aider officers

This year Icon has introduced trained Mental Health First Aid Officers who can act as a point of contact for team members experiencing emotional distress or mental health issues.

Kite wellbeing app

Kite is Icon’s workplace wellbeing app which delivers targeted and bespoke, easy to digest content for team members. The modules aim to address psychological hazards in the workplace and is delivered in a microlearning format so teams can access this resource quickly and easily.

Flourish magazine

Each month?team members have exclusive access to?health and wellbeing magazine,?Flourish. The online magazine includes industry experts sharing advice on important topics including workplace wellbeing, keeping a positive mindset, and staying financially fit, as well as health and fitness tips.

We are continuing to build upon these programs to ensure we always prioritise the health and wellbeing of our people. Our commitment to mental health extends beyond teams and into the communities we are part of. Our cancer centres across Australia build long-term relationships with local support groups to connect patients and their families to meaningful services, and our team members are often in search of supporting fundraising that helps provide support to those in need.

Icon was recently approached by Outside the Locker Room (OTLR), an organisation providing mental health education and welfare support to sporting clubs, schools and workplaces across Australia. Sports is unfortunately an area where there is still a strong stigma around mental health issues. The locker room often fosters toxic masculinity and an unhealthy ‘man up’ culture. It was an easy yes when asked if we would sponsor the Wests Bulldogs Junior AFL team in a special fundraising event with all proceeds going to OTLR who work directly with clubs like this junior AFL team to stop the stigma and start conversations.

If Icon can help in anyway, we will, and when it comes to building healthy communities, we do our best to play our part and walk beside those going through difficult times. I’ll never stop being proud to lead a company with so much heart. We care for people in what can sometimes feel like desperate circumstances, we treat their illness but most importantly we treat them as individuals. We recognise emotional side effects, and we ask the tough questions, we ask ‘R U OK?’ to our patients, our colleagues, our friends and family.

‘The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden. It is easier to say “my tooth is aching” than to say “my heart is broken”’ – C.S. Lewis.

Mental health needs more light, it needs a louder voice. To make change, we need to start conversations and recognise mental health is no less important than physical health, there should be no distinction between the conditions. The path to good mental health isn’t often straight forward or easy but the burden can be lifted little by little if there are people to lean on.

Today I urge you to ask those in your life whether they really are ok. Reaching out is the first step in potentially saving a life.