Making the most of R U OK? Day & Mental Health Month in your Workplace
Written by Abbie Williams, CEO & Founder of Letters of Hope
Abbie is the founder of mental health charity, Letters of Hope, which was born from her lived experience of mental illness. Letters of Hope send handwritten letters to people who are struggling with their mental health.
Abbie has a background in Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing and is an Ambassador for the Australian & New Zealand Mental Health Association, a Licensed Mental Health First Aid Instructor, and was 1 of 5 social entrepreneurs to represent Australia in the 2022 Emerging Leaders Program. Abbie has featured in a range of media and publications including ABC News, 7News, Courier Mail, MiNDFOOD, Wellbeing Magazine and more.
With R U OK? Day 2023's annual theme being announced earlier this week, now is a great time to think about how your organisation will look to build mental health awareness. This year's theme is 'Here to Hear', and is centred around truly hearing and supporting the people we care about. By simply taking the time to ask "R U OK?" and listening with an open mind, we can provide vital support and create a sense of connection.
Both R U OK? Day (14 September) and Mental Health Month (October) are just around the corner. The months of September and October are therefore a key time to open up important mental health conversations with your team members.
Here are some top tips around making the most of these key dates and placing a spotlight on mental health in the workplace.
Plan, Plan, Plan!
With 2023 flying by faster than ever, get on the front foot with planning your initiatives before the dates swing around. It can be easy for key dates to pass by while we get tied up in the day to day challenges of work.
Now is a good time to engage with key stakeholders at your organisation and consult with them around how workplace mental health should be a part of the conversation. You might even look to create a committee to work on bringing celebrations for these key dates together.
Take some time to come up with a communications plan, and use internal communication channels such as emails, newsletters, or notice boards to raise awareness around what you have planned.
It’s important to take your plans beyond just an email or communications piece, however, and ensure that you are using this opportunity to support and educate your people.
R U OK? Day have a wealth of amazing resources that you can access for free by registering on their website. Use these amazing resources to inform your planning and be sure to share R U OK?’s impactful tools with your team.
Build Awareness Around Existing Mental Health Supports
This is an important time to highlight some of the supports and resources available, both internally and externally.
If your workplace has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), or any other mental health supports, this is a great opportunity to increase utilisation and build awareness around what is available. Most EAP providers offer free awareness sessions for businesses, so it may be a good idea to connect with your Account Manager and lock in an awareness session for your teams in line with celebrations.
Additionally, your EAP will likely have some resources specific to R U OK? Day and Mental Health Month, so be sure to leverage them. And if you really want to emphasise that support, you could look at booking an EAP counsellor to attend onsite (or virtually) and encourage employees to access them.
Beyond the supports that you provide in the workplace, it’s also a good time to circulate some general mental health supports to your people. HealthDirect have an amazing directory of mental health supports in Australia, so be sure to embed these supports into your communications plan.
Try to go beyond just sharing the contact number or website. Really get to know the supports that are out there, and share that knowledge with your employees.
For example, lots of people have heard of Lifeline, but did you know that not only do they offer a crisis phoneline, but also an online chat and text line?
Knowing the ins and outs of the supports you are sharing, and being able to highlight key features, could be pivotal in someone seeking help and support.
Feel free to share the link to Letters of Hope’s homepage with your people, where they can request a letter filled with kind words of hope and support.
Provide Training & Resources
Invest in mental health training for managers and employees to ensure everyone has the tools and knowledge to facilitate mental health conversations. Many people that I speak to tend to avoid mental health conversations altogether out of fear that they might say the wrong thing or make it worse.
Managers are often at the forefront of difficult conversations, and friendship at work mean that many team members are in a position to spot the signs of mental health concerns in their colleagues. Equipping your team members with the knowledge to start a conversation with someone that they are concerned about can help to break down the stigma and lead to a mentally healthier workforce. Providing tools for people to start mental health conversations encapsulates what R U OK? Day is all about.
Consider hosting mental health courses or workshops to equip your workforce with practical skills to recognise signs of mental distress and offer the appropriate support.
If there is anything I can do to support you on these initiatives, please do reach out. My calendar is quickly filling up around September/October, with the below services in high demand in line with R U OK? Day and Mental Health Month celebrations. As a registered mental health charity, all fees from our services fund Letters of Hope. You can submit an enquiry here:
R U OK? Day Mental Health Awareness Workshop: this workshop covers off on the current state of play of mental health in Australia, this year’s R U OK? Day theme, the signs & symptoms of a mental health concern, how to start a mental health conversation with someone you are concerned about, how you can signpost someone you are concerned about to professional help and taking care of your own mental health.
Lived Experience Presentation: in this presentation I share my mental health journey and lived experience, the importance of asking for help and support, how I turned my mental health struggles into my superpower by creating Letters of Hope, and the importance of kindness and compassion (as you just never know what someone is going through under the surface.)
Mental Health First Aid Training: 2023 has been a huge year for MHFA training, and organising this training around these mental health focused initiatives is a great way to engage your team members and equip them to have these important conversations. You can learn more about the Mental Health First Aid training here, and there are face to face as well as online delivery options.
Other workshops include Mental Health Training for Managers, Personal Wellbeing, Recharging Your Batteries and Stress Management as well as bespoke sessions if you happen to have a topic already in mind.
Another great way to educate your people is to create an online mental health hub packed with mental health resources, including online articles, books, and contact information for mental health helplines, to make information readily available to your team now and into the future.
Some organisations develop a full R U OK? Day or Mental Health Month activity calendar, running activities spanning from wellness challenges, to mindfulness sessions, to yoga or exercise classes and lunchtime walks.
Engage Your Leaders & Lived Experience Workforce
Leadership plays a vital role in setting the tone for a mentally healthy workplace. Encourage senior management and leaders to openly discuss mental health, share personal experiences, and demonstrate vulnerability. When leaders prioritise their wellbeing and actively participate in mental health initiatives, it creates a ripple effect and helps to foster a culture of understanding and support.
Leadership extends beyond those with a leadership title. As someone who has been a lived experience employee, key dates like R U OK? Day and Mental Health Month have always made me feel seen, heard and supported, and have on occasions given me the confidence to share my own story to try and help others. Think about ways in which you can engage your lived experience workforce and create a space where employees feel comfortable discussing their mental health concerns without fear of judgment or reprisal. Perhaps you could put a call out to your employees and see if anyone would like to share their personal story?
Finally, Let This Be Your Launchpad!
Make sure that your mental health focus extends beyond an annual celebration, and becomes a year-round focus.
R U OK? Day and Mental Health Month are occasions that place a spotlight on, and get people talking about, mental health. Your employees will have mental health at front of mind as a result of this, so this time of year is a great opportunity to drive engagement around any mental health and wellbeing initiatives you have planned in the future.
Be sure to continue momentum in this space and take the opportunity to ask employees what they would like to see happen in the workplace mental health and wellbeing space in your organisation.