The Working Mind training program focuses on mental health in the workplace. A free training program offered by Brock University’s Health Management team aims to help managers recognize signs of mental health changes in themselves and their employees and create a safe environment for open dialogue.
Developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, The Working Mind manager session is available to anyone at Brock who leads people. The program takes place over two days, on Tuesday, Dec. 6 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesday, Dec. 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Additional dates and times for both manager and employee sessions are listed on ExperienceBU.
Managers trained through The Working Mind program will be guided through the Mental Health Continuum Model and will learn how to assess their employees’ mental health status along the continuum, as well as their own. Managers will develop the knowledge and skills to have honest conversations with employees about mental health concerns, encourage employees to get appropriate supports to develop coping strategies, and offer workplace accommodation.
Other employee wellness opportunities happening in December, such as a free skate and complimentary tickets to the Brock men’s hockey game on Sunday, Dec. 4, are listed on the December employee wellness calendar.
Brock community members are also reminded of the University’s year-long initiative to make kindness the norm. The workplace kindness calendar theme for December is ‘reflection.’ Kindness suggestions for the month include setting daily intentions, reflecting on activities that bring joy and doing something outside one’s comfort zone.
Additional employee wellness resources are available on the Health, Safety and Wellness Toolbox on SharePoint, which includes recordings of wellness workshops and resources from LifeWorks wellness newsletters.
The December LifeWorks newsletter features articles discussing mindfulness exercises, developing personal resilience as a manager and relaxation tips to help beat stress.
Employees interested in wellness events being offered throughout the year are invited to join the Health, Safety and Wellness organization on ExperienceBU to keep apprised of new events being posted. (Employees may need to log in to ExperienceBU before being able to click on the blue ‘join’ button.)
Questions about employee wellness resources and ideas for future wellness workshops can be emailed to employeehealth@brocku.ca
