It all begins with that first conversation
Half of employees quit their job for their mental health in 2021.It’s up to HR leaders to curb the Great Resignation, and one of the ways to accomplish that is by offering mental health support to employees.
Heritage CARES is a virtual support program that helps those struggling with mental health, stress, suicidal ideation and substance misuse. The program offers certified peer coaches who walk participants through their recovery journey, alongside an extensive educational video library and a care management platform.
So, how can HR leaders bring up the topic that an employee may need help? Speaking to HRD, Rich Jones, executive director of Heritage CARES revealed the best way to begin is by initiating that all-important first conversation.
“In order to bring up those type of topics, you have to start talking about these issues on a routine basis,” he explained. “If you do things like annual training around mental health and substance use the same way you do training for sexual harassment or workplace safety, you create this culture where it's just normalized. From there, bringing it up when you're concerned becomes less problematic. If you only talk about mental health and substance use when it's hitting the fan, then of course it's going to be very hard to discuss. Bringing up issues of concern actually starts in your everyday normal practice and your normal conversations. You lay the groundwork for that type of conversation through your culture.”
Watch HRD’s full interview with Jones here.
