Your how-to: Enhancing awareness of mental wellbeing peer support through strong communication in the workplace
Enhancing awareness of mental wellbeing peer support through communication in the workplace is all about increasing the visibility and understanding of peer support initiatives for mental health within your organisation. This is achieved through strategic communication and educational exercises.
Mental wellbeing peer support refers to the provision of emotional, experiential, and practical assistance by a trained peer support workforce—a group of employees who are educated on mental health and committed to supporting their colleagues.
It's important to consider that in Australia, work-related stress is acknowledged under the Safe Work Australia's Work Health and Safety Act 2011. Therefore, employers are legally obligated to promote a healthy and safe environment, which includes mental well-being.
The goal of these communication efforts is to encourage employees to engage with these resources openly and confidently. This can involve making employees aware of available supports, explaining the benefits and role of peer support, and normalising the discussion around mental health at work.
It also includes creating a safe, stigma-free workplace culture where conversations about mental health are not only accepted but promoted. Beyond promoting services and supports available, effective communication can engender empathy, understanding, and a supportive workplace culture for mental health.
Step by step instructions
Understand the importance of mental wellbeing: As a first step, you need to understand the importance of mental wellbeing in the workplace. Study the impacts of poor mental health on job performance, engagement, and retention. Be aware that, per the Safe Work Australia's Work Health and Safety Act 2011, employers have a duty of care to provide a safe and healthy work environment, which includes ensuring the mental health of employees.
Implement training for peer support workers: Invest in the training of your peer support workers so that they are skilled and confident. The training should cover understanding mental health issues, providing support appropriately, maintaining confidentiality, and promoting mental health initiatives in the workplace.
Communicate the policy to all employees: Once the policy is developed, communicate this to all employees. This could be done via internal newsletters, staff meetings, or an email circular. Make sure every employee is aware of the policy and its relevance to their role.
Continuously promote the peer support program: Lastly, regularly promote your mental health peer support program to maintain awareness among staff. Share success stories, remind employees of the resources available, and constantly reinforce the message of seeking help when needed.
Identify potential peer support workers: Next, identify potential peer support workers within your organisation. These individuals should ideally have a keen interest in mental health and caring attitudes. They should also possess excellent communication skills, empathy, and confidentiality.
Develop a workplace mental wellbeing policy: Formulate a documented policy on workplace mental health and wellbeing that outlines the purpose, objectives, responsibilities, and procedures of your peer support initiative. Make sure to include the legal implications as stated under the Australian laws.
Create opportunities for open dialogue about mental health: Promote open conversations about mental health within the workplace. This can be done through workshops, team meetings or external speakers talking about mental health. This encourages employees to share their experiences and reduces the stigma around mental health.
Remember to continually have a time in the diary for reviewing this whether it be every 12 months or longer.
Use this template to implement
To ensure you can execute seamlessly, download the implementation template.
Pitfalls to avoid
Without adequate training, employees may not know how to effectively provide or receive mental health peer support. It is crucial to provide training sessions that explain the purpose and benefits of peer support, along with ways to handle difficult situations.
Without providing a framework of what to expect from the peer support program, participants may feel confused or overwhelmed. It's crucial to provide guidelines about the roles, responsibilities, and boundaries in peer support relationships.
If your approach to mental health peer support does not account for diversity and inclusion, you risk alienating some employees. Mental health experiences vary greatly across different cultural, ethnic, gender, and age groups. Make sure your program is flexible and inclusive.
Confidentiality is pivotal in mental health discussions. Always comply with Australia's Privacy Act 1988. Employers must also remember that individual healthcare information might be sensitive and ensure it remains confidential throughout the process.
Workplace stigma could discourage employees from participating in your mental wellbeing peer support programme. Actively work to reduce stigma by fostering open discussions about mental wellbeing.
Having a mental wellbeing peer support initiative without follow-up can lead to its gradual decay. Regularly review the effectiveness of your initiative and provide updates based on feedback.