Your how-to: Establishing a leadership advisory board for mental health initiatives
Establishing a leadership advisory board for mental health initiatives refers to the concept of creating an internal leadership advisory board to serve as a cornerstone for mental health initiatives within your company. This board typically includes top-level leaders, managers and even frontline employees who commit to addressing issues related to mental health in the workplace. The primary role of this advisory board is to develop strategies, put into place policies, and guide the entire organisation in promoting mental wellbeing.
The advisory board is keen to understand mental health issues, de-stigmatise discussions around them, and ensure that appropriate support structures are in place. They can initiate programs for mental health awareness, skill-training or even changes in company culture. This approach deepens the organisation's commitment to its employees' wellbeing by involving those from different levels within the company structure in a structured, formal setup.
In Australia, forming such a leadership advisory board for mental health can be seen as part of the broader health and safety responsibilities of the employer under the Work Health and Safety Act. The Act mandates employers to ensure their employees' psychological health is catered to and it's not detrimental due to their work environment. Thus, the creation of this board not only facilitates supportive work culture but also ensures legal compliance.
Step by step instructions
Assessment of Current Situation: Start by gaining a clear understanding of the current mental health status within your company. Perform a workplace analysis to identify potential or existing mental health issues. Consider anonymous surveys or partnering with a mental health professional for confidential interviews.
Define the Purpose and Scope of the Advisory Board: Identify the specific objectives and functions of your advisory board. How will the board help address mental health issues? What policies or programs might it implement?
Recruit Board Members: Approach potential board members individually, articulate the purpose of the board, and the specific role they are expected to play. Also, ensure that those who join the board sincerely care about mental well-being and are willing to take decisive action.
Establish Regular Meetings: Set a calendar for regular meetings - perhaps quarterly - to review the state of mental health in the company, discuss arising concerns, plan initiatives and check the progress of ongoing programs.
Understand Legal Requirements: Familiarise yourself with legal requirements concerning mental health in the workplace. In the Australian context, consult the Work Health and Safety Act to understand your obligations as an employer.
Identify Potential Members: Include top-level leaders, managers and frontline employees who are committed to promoting mental well-being in the company. Including members from all levels will ensure varied perspectives and represent the interests of the wider workforce better.
Provide Training: Once the board is formed, it is crucial that each member understands their role and responsibilities. Arrange for training sessions with experts who can provide education on mental health, employee support and related legal matters.
Implement Initiatives and Policies: The board should now be in a position to design and roll out initiatives aimed at improving mental health and support within the company. Also, establish a mechanism to get feedback from employees on these initiatives.
Use this template to implement
To ensure you can execute seamlessly, download the implementation template.
Pitfalls to avoid
An effective leadership advisory board should reflect the diverse perspectives of the employees it represents. If your board lacks diversity in terms of gender, race, age, mental health experiences, and professional backgrounds, its effectiveness might be compromised. It might subsequently fail to genuinely understand and address the diverse range of mental health issues faced by your workforce.
Without proper training or professional expertise in the mental health field, board members might misinterpret or underrepresent certain issues. Ensure your board includes members with mental health expertise or provide relevant training to enhance your board’s competence in handling mental health initiatives.
Ignoring ongoing feedback from employees about the effectiveness and relevance of the mental health initiatives may lead to discontent and ineffectiveness. Instead, democratically seek feedback and make it evident that this feedback directly informs your mental health strategy.
The board should be not only representative but also engaging. Failure to encourage employees' participation in discussions or actions related to mental health initiatives can lead to misaligned priorities and reduced impact. This can make employees feel unheard and overlooked, undermining the board's credibility and purpose.
Sensitive personal information will likely be discussed in relation to mental health initiatives. If your board doesn't have strong confidentiality protocols in place, it could jeopardise employees’ trust and willingness to engage. This is also vital given the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988, which mandates certain protocols for handling and protecting sensitive information.
Even the best initiatives are futile if not correctly implemented. Beware of focusing excessively on planning while neglecting the practical, logistical aspects of implementing your mental health initiatives.