SPC working to remove the stigma in Mental Health Awareness month

By Robert Tanti - Chief People Officer

May is globally recognised as Mental Health Awareness Month. The stigma around mental health and its associated treatments have existed for a long time, however, more recent conversations are shifting for the better. Mental Health Awareness Month aims to promote tools that can aid safe discussions about mental health topics.?

At SPC, we recognise and celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month as we work to ensure a safe and welcoming working environment for our team. We encourage employees to be open about their mental health and feel safe communicating with those around them. As we learn more about mental health and wellness, it becomes increasingly clear that it must be prioritised alongside physical health and afforded the same importance.?

SPC is proud to incorporate mental health strategies with our employees and their working experience. In the past 18 months, SPC has successfully begun training employees for Mental Health First Aid as we recognise it as an essential available service. We actively participate in R U OK day, which aims to teach people how to facilitate safe conversations with someone who is experiencing hardship. Every leader has attended a training session on Courageous Conversations called “Leading to Mental Health”. This ensures our leaders are skilled should they need to approach an employee, friend or family member who may be in need. ?

Additionally, we have launched an online training service called We Care. This service is used to inform employees about how to help a teammate in distress. SPC is excited to announce a new version of the program will be launching in June in which all employees are going to participate in learning about helpful communication methods when experiencing distress in the workplace. ?

In addition to these initiatives, SPC has also encouraged all employees to sign up to the Lifeworks platform where they have access and support in the form of podcasts and information kits. The range of topics includes mental, financial, physical and social health. Our employees can access a library of topics to help inform them of their wellbeing. On this platform, SPC has the ability to communicate with its employees and promote days such as World Cancer Day, International Women’s Day, Embrace Diversity, World Health Day, and more. Not only is SPC looking to provide information on mental health, but we are also committed to extending our mental health programs that promote inclusion and diversity.?

International Mental Health Awareness month should be a reminder to us all that innovating in Mental Health Programs and testing them for their effectiveness to the organisation and for the very people they exist to support, has a rightful place in the cadence of how we manage our businesses.

Ensuring the health and wellbeing of all SPC staff is a crucial policy in our workplace. I am proud of the culture SPC has developed, especially throughout the pandemic. We stuck together in adverse times and are now looking forward to working towards a stronger mental health future together. Employees are encouraged to speak out in times of need. Whether that is to another employee, family and friends, or a professional.?

For more information, please visit https://www.beyondblue.org.au/. If you or a loved one is in need of someone to talk to, contact Life Line on 13 11 14.?