COLLABORATIVE EFFORT PRODUCES MANAGER’S GUIDE TO HELP WORKPLACES WITH THE AFTERMATH OF SUICIDE

See guide at: http://carsonjspencer.org/ManagersGuidebook.pdf

Denver, CO – In the U.S., the majority of people who take their lives are working-aged people, and yet workplaces are often unprepared to deal with this crisis. Today the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) and the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance) announce the launch of a collaborative publication, in partnership with Crisis Care Network (CCN), and the Carson J Spencer Foundation entitled A Manager’s Guide to Suicide Postvention in the Workplace: 10 Action Steps for Dealing with the Aftermath of Suicide.

For every suicide death, an estimated minimum of six people are affected, resulting in approximately six million American “survivors of suicide” in the last 25 years. The creation of the guide came as a logical step for the collaborators. “The demographics of suicide inform us that the working-age individual, in particular working-age male, is most at risk for suicide,” explained Dr. Alan Berman, Executive Director for the AAS. “A sizeable proportion of these deaths by suicide occur on the worksite, or otherwise affect the worksite, pointing to an increased need for postvention in the working population. These guidelines are most important for systems of employment, in the worst case possibility that such a tragedy occurs.”

The guide provides clear steps for postvention, giving leadership a sense of how to immediately respond to the traumatic event, have a plan in the short-term for recovery, and consider long-term strategies for helping employees cope down the line. Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas, CEO & Co-Founder of the Carson J Spencer Foundation, explained: “We collaborated to create succinct procedures with checklists and flow charts to be a go-to guide for people dealing with the crisis of suicide. Our goal is to help to reduce the impact of the suicide event by offering a blueprint to handling these challenging situations. The guidebook allows for immediate access to clear steps to take for moving forward, and helps workplaces plan to move from a solely reactive position on these issues into policy development and trainings.”

“In many postvention responses we saw business leaders forced to operate well outside of their training and expertise, grappling with unanswered and unanswerable questions,” said Bob VandePol, President of CCN. “When there is a death by suicide, all eyes turn to leadership and people take their cues based upon how leadership responds. It’s also true that people under the influence of traumatic stress look to leadership and make assumptions about their own personal worth within the company, so there is tremendous power in a calm, compassionate presence by management during this time.”

The collaborators worked to create a set of guidelines that are useful across varied types of workplaces, and they expect a range of individuals within these organizations and companies to find the information immediately helpful. “This guide can be useful to managers at all levels–from the CEO of a large business to a front-line supervisor of a small organization,” asserted Action Alliance Executive Secretary, Dr. David Litts. The Action Alliance played a key role in bringing these groups together to develop this resource.

To download your own copy of these guidelines and to review others, please go to http://carsonjspencer.org/ManagersGuidebook.pdf.

American Association of Suicidology

Founded in 1968, AAS is a membership organization for all those involved in suicide prevention and intervention, or touched by suicide. AAS leads the advancement of scientific and programmatic efforts in suicide prevention through research, education and training, the development of standards and resources, and survivor support services.

Contact: Alan L. Berman, PhD, ABPP, Executive Director, 202-237-2280, berman@suicidology.org

National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention

The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, a public-private coalition, works to advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention by championing suicide prevention as a national priority, catalyzing efforts to implement high priority objectives of the National Strategy, and cultivating the resources needed to sustain progress. Launched in 2010 by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the Action Alliance envisions a nation free from the tragic event of suicide. For more information, see www.actionallianceforsuicideprevention.org.

Contact: Katie Deal, Deputy Secretary, 202-572-3722, kdeal@edc.org

The Carson J Spencer Foundation (www.CarsonJSpencer.org) is a Colorado nonprofit, established in 2005. We envision a world where leaders and communities are committed to sustaining a passion for living. We sustain a passion for living by

·         Delivering innovative and effective suicide prevention programs for working-aged   people.

·         Coaching young leaders to develop social enterprises for mental health promotion and suicide prevention.

·         Supporting people bereaved by suicide.

Contact: Sally Spencer-Thomas, PsyD, CEO & Co-Founder, 720-244-6535, sally@carsonjspencer.org

Crisis Care Network

Founded in 1997, Crisis Care Network (CCN) is the EAP industry’s premier provider of Critical Incident Response for the workplace. CCN helps individuals and organizations return to work, life, and productivity following critical incidents. We mitigate the human and financial costs of workplace tragedy such as workers' compensation claims, low morale, employee attrition, and litigation. CCN has established the nation's largest network of master’s- and doctoral-level clinicians trained as Critical Incident Response Specialists, responding more than 1,000 times per month to workplace incidents for EAP’s, insurers, and employers in communities throughout the United States and Canada.

Contact: Judy Beahan, MSW, Clinical Manager, 888-736-0911, Judy.Beahan@crisiscare.com

How Mentally Healthy is Your Workplace?

photo credit: Nelson Webb @Flickr

By Sally Spencer Thomas, Psy.D

It’s not an easy topic to discuss. Suicide, that is. There is a lot of fear based on misperceptions about it. While pamphlets can disseminate information, they are usually not effective enough to shift attitudes or prompt discussion or even help people.  The fact is, the majority of people who die by suicide are working-aged people, and yet most of the suicide prevention efforts target youth. By training workplaces to be better able to identify people at risk, early in the progression of a mental health disorder, more people will get help.

Employers and managers are leaders who can champion a mentally resilient and thriving workplace. They do this by understanding that mental health issues are like other health issues and advocate for promoting protective factors, minimizing risk factors and giving access to quality care. When people are in crisis, these leaders can offer guidance on how to navigate the balance of workplace functioning and individual well-being.

How do you get there?

A great place to start is to take the online assessment.  Part organizational review and part environmental scan, the questionnaire is designed to get workplaces thinking about the many ways they could promote mental health in the workplace. The assessment is helpful, but it is really just the foundation, and one page from the Suicide Prevention Toolkit, which is a Working Minds Program and part of the Carson J. Spencer Foundation.  But the results from the questionnaire will help set the stage for the workshop that follows.

Utilizing the Suicide Prevention Toolkit, employee assistant or human resources personnel, will be able to lead between 25-35 people through the program. The program is practical, user-friendly and seen as highly effective tool for suicide prevention education in the workplace. . One of the main teaching tools is the DVD, which creates a forum for dialogue and critical thinking about workplace mental health challenges. Designed to be implemented over the lunch hour or as a half-day session, the workshop opens the lines of communication and lets employees learn and practice new skills, including help-seeking and help-giving skills.   

Just the employer is encouraged to take the organizational assessment; there is research that supports the use of anonymous online screenings for employees. Through WorkplaceResponse, a program of Screening for Mental Health, employers have a unique opportunity to offer a customized online screening tool that will let employees determine if their symptoms are characteristic of various mood and anxiety disorders and alcohol problems. 

Both programs are about preventing crises through a proactive approach. Both programs are low cost, high impact approaches that empower workplaces to help their vulnerable employees move from distress to coping, communicating that the workplace cares about the well-being of their workers, not just their immediate performance. Both programs have the potential benefit beyond the workplace. In other words, the skills/information acquired in these programs can be applied to family members, neighbors and more. This positions the workplace as responsible corporate citizen and this holistic approach can increase morale.

Click here to take the employer assessment. 

Meeting Workplaces Where They Are: Crisis Response, Safety Planning and Cost-Savings

By Sally Spencer-Thomas

Parts of this blog republished in the International Association of Suicide Prevention’s Newsletter

While most of us in the field of Suicidology can see the great benefits of enlisting employers to implement comprehensive approaches to suicide, most employers are not quite ready. They are unfamiliar with the idea of their role in suicide prevention and often find it initially daunting and significantly out of their usual business endeavors. For these reasons, we need to listen well, move slowly and let them lead.

Many well-meaning suicide prevention advocates jump into the work of fixing something before they understand what the obstacles to change are.  The “Stages of Change” model^[1] developed by Prochaska and DiClemente, informs us that in order to be effective, we need to craft our strategy of change to the readiness of the people or systems needing change.^[2] If the problem is not in awareness, they will not be motivated to take action. If the problem is in their awareness but brings with it some big perceived obstacles to change, they will not be motivated to take action. It’s only when the perceived benefits of change outweigh the consequences of staying the same that change happens. You know you are moving too fast in championing change, when you get a lot of “yes, but” responses such as, “Yes, there may be mental health issues at work, but no one has time/money/expertise (fill in the blank) to deal with it.”

For these reasons, suicide prevention advocates need to take time to listen to workplaces and find out how they are being affected by suicidal behavior, before we prescribe a comprehensive blueprint for change. Those of us interested in of suicide prevention in the workplace have noticed three main areas where workplaces have concerns about suicidal behavior:

1)    After death or a serious attempt has already occurred:  Unfortunately, most workplaces dealing with this issue are doing so in a reactive mode – wondering what warning signs were missed and how best to support their grieving and traumatized staff. To help workplaces in these situations, one goal of the workplace suicide prevention advocates is to provide succinct guidelines on how best to handle the crisis and suggested best practices on how to support bereaved employees.

2)    As they relate to healthcare costs and lost productivity costs: Most for-profit organizations make decisions based on how the choice will impact their bottom line. For this reason, suicide prevention advocates will continue to gather data to make a strong business case for suicide prevention. In other words, we need to demonstrate that engaging in suicide prevention will save the company money.

3)    As they relate to workplace safety: with suicide-homicide cases capturing the attention of employers for decades, much concern exists on how dangerous suicidal people are to others. In order to alleviate this worry, suicide prevention advocates can help link workplaces to policy, protocol and training that allows them to implement “early warning” systems and a process for linking at-risk people quickly to qualified care.

Thus, our general approach is to meet workplaces where they are – crisis support, cost-savings, safety protocol, or whatever other need they have. In order to better serve their needs we need to listen well to their concerns about suicidal behavior as well as their perceived barriers to doing something different. By aligning employers’ goals with the goals of suicide prevention, we will have a much greater chance of successful larger-scale change, as one step can often lead to another.

Contact the Carson J Spencer Foundation for more information about up-coming training on suicide prevention in the workplace and our Working Minds Toolkit (www.WorkingMinds.org).

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[1] Prochaska, James, DiClimente, Carlo, Norcross, John (1993). In search of how people change: Applications to addictive behaviors. Journal of Addictions Nursing, 5(1) 2-16.

[2] Edwards, Ruth, Jumper-Thurman, Pamela, Plested, Barbara, Oetting, E. & Louis, Swanson (2000). Community readiness: Research to practice. Journal of Community Psychology, 28(3), 291-307.

Prescription Drug Abuse at Work

Written by Sally Spencer-Thomas

What is the most concerning substance abuse trend facing workplaces today? Is it meth? Heroin? Cocaine? When we look at who is showing up in our emergency rooms after overdosing and who is showing up at addiction treatment centers, the drugs that are affecting the working aged population most are the drugs we usually get with a prescription.

What is prescription drug abuse? Prescription drug abuse is the non-medical use of prescription medications. Prescription medications are only safe for the prescribed patient, for the prescribed reason, for a prescribed time. After they have been used for their intended purpose, they should be safely discarded, and yet many stockpile and share these potentially deadly and addicting medications, leaving them readily accessible for abusive purposes.

For example, OxyContin, which is essentially the same drug as heroin, is often prescribed for pain relief after major surgery. This toxicity of this medication is perceived quite differently when it comes in a prescription pill bottle from the medicine cabinet, and yet the body doesn’t know the difference between this pill and its illicit cousin heroin. The common perception is that these prescription drugs are safe because they come from a doctor rather than off the street. Yet, the consequences of abuse can be just as deadly.  When we look at national overdose deaths, we find that prescription drug abuse deaths are:[1]

·      Four to five times higher than those of black tar heroin in the 1970s

·      Twice as high as the peak years of crack cocaine in the 1990s

More people are dying each year from prescription drug overdoses than from heroin and cocaine overdoses combined.  In 2005 there were 22,400 prescription drug overdose deaths in the United States versus 17,000 homicides.

 The alarming trend in prescription drug abuse poses a dilemma for doctors. Chronic and severe pain is often best managed with narcotic based medicine until the source of the pain has healed. Very often drug-seeking patients will show up at their primary care clinic complaining of dental or injury pain and will claim they “just need something to get them through the weekend.” Since pain is so subjective, prescribing healthcare providers are often unsure about how to handle such situations and may err on the side of relieving the symptoms the best way they know how.

Sometimes workers who had legitimate pain medication prescriptions find themselves hooked and will “doctor shop” to get additional refills to support their addiction. Other overwhelmed overachievers may turn to prescription drugs for an edge in our highly competitive society. It is not uncommon for Mom or Dad to sneak stimulant pills prescribed for their teen’s Attention Deficit Disorder so that the parent can work longer hours.

The impact of prescription drug abuse on the workplace is evident. Because these pills are usually paid for through insurance, the healthcare costs for workplaces are affected when the drugs are being abused. Performance is impacted when workers are operating under the influence of narcotics, but unlike the abuse of other substances, prescription drug abuse often leaves little evidence: no smell, no paraphernalia, and no visible marks on the skin. Workers can abuse the drugs right at their desks without others noticing.

With all these pills around, the opportunities for intentional and unintentional overdoses increase significantly. Emergency room monitoring shows an upward trend of people experiencing medical crises from these effects.[1] Given these health risks and workplace implications what can employers do?

Like other health issues, the best intervention is early detection. Thus, workplaces can raise awareness by educating employees about the dangers of prescription drug abuse and offer screening to identify those at risk for abuse. Workplaces can help promote events like the Colorado Department of Public Health’s “Take Back” challenges where people can bring in unused prescription medications and dispose of them safely. When writing policies regarding substance abuse, prescription drug abuse should be included. Whatever the approach, workplaces that acknowledge the potential risks of prescription drug abuse will be better able to proactively work to reduce its impact.

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank Beverly Gmerek from Peer Assistance for her leadership in the area of prescription drug abuse prevention and for the information presented at the May 14^th, 2010 Colorado EAPA meeting which was used for the basis of this article.

About the Author

As a psychologist and the survivor of her brother’s suicide, Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas addresses the issue of suicide prevention, intervention and postvention from many angles.  Currently she is the Executive Director for the Carson J Spencer Foundation (www.CarsonJSpencer.org), a Colorado-based (USA) nonprofit that is dedicated to “sustaining a passion for life” through suicide prevention, social enterprise and support for emerging leaders.” In 2009, the Carson J Spencer Foundation launched the Working Minds Program (www.WorkingMinds.org), a comprehensive suicide prevention initiative for workplaces.  As a professional speaker, she frequently presents keynotes and trainings for workplaces, campuses, and conferences around the world. In addition, she is the Executive Secretary for the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, the public-private partnership advancing the Surgeon General’s National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. Finally, she is the Division Chair for Survivors of Suicide Loss for the American Association of Suicidology.  

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[1] Gmerek, Beverly (2010, May 14). Prescription Drug Abuse. Presentation at the Colorado EAP Meeting. Denver, Colorado

[2] Gmerek, Beverly (2010, May 14). Prescription Drug Abuse. Presentation at the Colorado EAP Meeting. Denver, Colorado

WORKING MINDS: Suicide Prevention in the Workplace

Working Minds: Suicide Prevention in the Workplace

Who is at Risk?

Which occupation is at most risk for suicide?  Military? Dentists? Psychiatrists?  Police officers?  This question is confounded by a number of issues that complicate the answer.  Some occupations are heavily male. We know men take their lives four times more often than women, so are higher suicide rates in those occupations a function of the occupation itself or the fact that men are higher risk?  A similar argument is made for unskilled and temporary jobs when we know the stress of poverty and unemployment also plays a role in suicide risk.

Nevertheless, we know that some occupations, by the nature of the work, may place individuals at higher or lower risk for suicide. For instance, when an occupation has special knowledge of or access to a lethal means of suicide (e.g., medicine among doctors and nurses), there is often an increase in risk.  Certain occupations tend to have higher levels of stress and isolation such as the farming industry might have elevated risks.  Some industries have what is called the “healthy worker effect.”  That is, the workplaces tend to select psychologically hardy people because of comprehensive screening that takes place before employment. Thus, these occupations may be protected from suicide risk to some degree. Finally, it is possible that certain types of people who are at an increased risk of suicide might be attracted to certain types of work.  For example, people who are prone to alcohol abuse, a known risk for suicide, are often attracted to workplaces where alcohol is available.

One noteworthy finding is that men and women working in non-traditional occupations seem to have a higher risk of suicide. In other words, women working in male-dominated professions and men working in female-dominated professions may experience increased internal occupational stress and social isolation that increases their risk. For example, we see very high rates of suicide among female physicians for this reason.

High performers consistently achieve high levels of accomplishment and are regarded as leaders and innovators.  One such high performer noted that being in this position is like being up on a high tight rope without a safety net.  It feels as though everyone around is watching in fear or perhaps anticipation of when the high performer will slip and fall.  For these reasons, there is often no turning back for the high performer, even when the legs begin to buckle.  While it is mostly exhilarating to try to wage such a precarious balancing act, one glimpse down can cause terror.  The truth is all humans have their faults and weaknesses, and for the high performer, it is only a matter of time for his or hers is exposed.  Sometimes it comes in the form of a mental collapse from exhaustion, and the high performer feels an acute sense of failure. When the curtain is drawn and the wizard’s real self is revealed, the high performer worries about how to maintain his or her credibility.  Sometimes the perception of judgment is far more critical from the high performer’s perspective than from those around him or her.  During these times the sense of belongingness and purposefulness may be impacted, causing the high performer distress and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. When this happens, these top leaders may be very reluctant to seek help because the fall they anticipate would be so great.

Why Suicide Prevention in the Workplace Makes Sense

One thing we know is true: few of us get through this life without periods of acute distress or a break with some form of mental illness. We also know that the burden of suicide is carried by the working aged population. For example, suicide is the second leading cause of death for people aged 25-34 and as other suicide rates are dropping (e.g., youth suicide rates), the rates among working aged men and women are rising. In order to combat this growing concern, we need to engage a wider circle in the suicide prevention movement. Workplaces are a logical choice given that so many people of working age are employed. Workplaces give people a sense of purpose and community – both psychological buffers to distress. They also usually have built in mechanisms for disseminating information about health risks and linking employees to resources, like Employee Assistance Programs. Co-workers usually have more face-time than neighbors or even family members, and may be able to pick up on changes in appearance, behavior or mood more quickly.

Five Simple Steps Workplaces Can Take to Prevent Suicide

While suicide prevention may seem like an intense endeavor for workplaces to take on, there are many prevention strategies that do not take much effort but yield tremendous results:

1.     Promote the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255). This toll-free hotline is free and accessible 24/7. Answered by certified crisis call centers, all calls are routed locally. For free materials visit their website:

2.     Train Workplace Staff to Become Suicide Prevention Gatekeepers. In just over a lunch hour, employees at all level of a workplace can be taught how to identify warning signs and risk factors and help link distressed co-workers to appropriate care.

3.     Offer Educational Programs on Mental Illness. Increase awareness about the signs and symptoms of depression, bipolar disorder, alcohol dependence and other mental illnesses that can lead to suicide. By offering stories of recovery and successful treatment, workplaces can let employees know that it’s okay to ask for help.

4.     Reward Mental Wellness. Just as workplaces offer incentive programs for nutrition and fitness, we can also create motivation and opportunities to obtain optimal mental health. For example, employees can earn points when they take workshops on how to reduce stress or improve sleep.

5.     Change the Conversation through Social Marketing. A multi-media campaign can let people know they are not alone if they are thinking about suicide, and that many resources exist to help.

As our workplaces shift from the industrial age to the information age to the conceptual age, we come to increasingly rely on our mental muscle to get us through our work day. Like any other muscle, our mental muscle can get injured or fatigued, and we can experience high levels of distress, sometimes leading to a suicide crisis. Workplaces can prepare for this in many ways and develop a comprehensive approach to reduce suicide risk and promote mental resiliency.

Written by Sally Spencer-Thomas 

Guest Blog: Unemployed, Depressed and Searching for Hope Part II

Moving On After Professional Disaster Hits
Editor’s note: This is the first of a two part series.

By Dr. Christina McCale, author, “Waiting for Change”

In the subsequent months after the publication of my book,“Waiting for Change” I have had innumerable people contact me: some thanking me for the book. Others commenting how they could relate to my situation. Others describing their own stories of job loss and the terror that ensues after that catastrophe has been set upon them.

But invariably, as I talk with, thank and continue to share with these incredible human beings, the question comes up: So how do you move on?

I wish I had a good answer. But in this posting, I’ll provide a bit of “framework” for thinking about the grieving process after your loved one has lost their professional identity.

Most times, when I’m asked this question, I compare the experience of the last two years to the grieving process Kubler-Ross describes: you’re going to go through different phases. There really isn’t a logical“pattern” for getting from point A (the day you lose your job) to point B (the day you realize you’ve gotten past the pain). Not everyone is going to go through all the same phases in the same way or in the same order – because grief is a personal thing.

As I was told by a kind soul, so long ago, upon the death of my own family members: “I promise you there will come a day – a whole 24 hour time period – when you will forget that they’re gone; that the pain has slipped away. But it may take a whole year of birthdays and holidays and missed vacations to get through all the ‘what might have beens’ before you can move on.”

While I know intellectually that there has been some comment and criticism of the Kubler-Ross model (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance), and I am hardly an expert therapist or knowledgeable about psychology, to me, it does at least seem to provide somewhat of a framework to begin to make some sense of what has just occurred – and perhaps a perspective that can help the loved ones who will now be called on to buoy the unemployed person through the next phase of their life.

A Complicating Factor

What might complicate matters, though, is that as a society we don’t see job loss as a “death” per se – although many have described work as an innate part of our identities and in many cases a cornerstone of one’s social life. The notion of unemployment– or rather the inability to move on and find a new job – carries a stigma with it that dates back to our colonial America.

The Puritan work ethic, a belief that our dedication to doing a job well is a way of honoring God, is a part of our very social fabric. Our very language is peppered with the language that reinforces the importance of getting the job done and doing it well:

“Make hay while the sun shines.”

“Go the extra mile.”

“Your work should speak for itself.”

“Actions speak louder than words.”

“Don’t waste time.”

“Idleness is the devil’s handmaiden.”

“Don’t put off to tomorrow what you can do today.”

“Don’t just stand there … DO something.”

Some of our most fundamental attitudes come from that colonial society which emphasized the importance of work: where the community had to prioritize and safeguard its resources. Therefore, the poor then fell into two categories: the deserving poor and the non-deserving poor – those who through some character flaw or lacking in their effort to contribute their work. Later these attitudes morphed – that the poor were acculturated to be poor – that they didn’t know how to behave any differently and that their own actions perpetuated their lot in life.

So not only are we as a society taught to believe that work is an important part of our lives, to the degree that we identify ourselves through our work, but we are also then lead to the fallacy that if we are not working there must be something wrong with us.

Or if we were fired, laid off, etc., then we must have done something wrong… been inadequate in some way.

We failed.

And let’s face it – failure is not something our society talks about willingly, let alone accept and forgive readily.

So understanding that there is a whole host of acculturation, societal expectations and psychological identity elements – not to mention the greater issues of macro-economics, social justice, and equity that I won’t even begin to touch here – how do you get through those stages of grief and attempt to get your life back in some fashion?

Not easily.

When my own identity had been ripped from me, destroying a decade’s worth of effort and dedication to complete my doctorate – something that had cost me dearly in so many other ways –to say that I had been laid low would be too cliché, too much of an understatement for the reality that would ensue. I could barely get off the couch for weeks. I didn’t sleep more than a few hours a night. I could barely eat. The most mundane tasks of getting kids to school and dinner on the table (which turned into a lot of nights with Domino’s) became insurmountable peaks to climb.

Much like what some may feel when they lose the one they love – a spouse, a parent, a child. You are now experiencing the unthinkable. The unimaginable is now real. After all, our profession is a part of our identity. So it follows that we grieve at the loss of a job because we are not only losing a part of ourselves, but experiencing a social death as well.

Editor’s note: Next week Dr. McCale will discuss suggestions for navigating the emotional landscape after layoff, termination or downsizing.

About Waiting for Change:

Part memoir and part social commentary, the book Waiting for Change profiles the very personal realities of job loss during the Great Recession and the domino effect to one’s housing, sustenance, employment, children, and social support systems. The book takes the reader on a guided tour “behind the story” of all the statistics on the evening news to explore the new and evolving landscape of poverty in the richest country on Earth. Waiting for Change provides a mental “travelogue” that illuminates not just the immediate impacts of poverty, but the downstream repercussions, all in very personal, relatable and easy to read ways.

About the Author:

Prior to getting her doctorate in Marketing, Christina McCale worked for 17+ years in some of corporate America's biggest companies. For the last 10 years she has taught marketing and management instructional duties at the university level for the last 10 years, she has also been one of the key and has conducted research on how to best prepare our undergraduates for career entry. Today, she lives in Olympia, Washington with her son, daughter, and their two beloved greyhounds.

GUEST BLOG: Human Resources in the Pressure Hangover

Kate Burke and I met in cyberspace when she reached out to me to interview me for a class project on social entrepreneurship and suicide prevention. Six months later, she is interning for the Carson J Spencer Foundation remotely from Washington, D.C. and helping us build our Working Minds Program. Her blog speaks to the challenges HR professionals face when trying to promote mental health in the workplace.

Unless you’re a park ranger, this image is in stark contrast to the realities most of us face when we head into our days, in particular our workdays.  Instead of calming colors and soothing sounds, the concrete jungle and an impression that challenges loom as large as the buildings can surround us.  On such a day, I came across the following quote by Victor Frankl:

When we are no longer able to change a situation,

we are challenged to change ourselves.

This quote struck a cord with me.  There were quite a few things outside my control, which were consuming my energy and hopes.  I was a manager of 20 administrative staff, which included extensive performance management and employee relations duties, in one of the largest professional services firm in the US and globally.  The economic downturn had required a number of tough staff decisions as well as a restructuring of my team.  These stressors mirror situations faced by many Human Resources professionals noted in an HRCrossing article titled WorkplaceStress and the Human Resources Professional.  One of which is…

Dual allegiance: Trying to be of service both to the managers and blue-collar employees can put enormous stress on the consciences of human resources professionals. If, by chance, adversarial relationships exist between the two groups, then the human resources professionals may get scorned by both sides and viewed as inefficient meddlers.

I felt I was between this proverbial rock and a hard place. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has also noted in their report Stress at Work that “extensive literature links job characteristics (e.g., low levels of control and work overload) to job stress and stress-mediated health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease and psychological disorders”.  Their diagram included here shows how a mixture of work stress and factors from outside work can work for or against people with possible negative outcomes for health.  This stress trap was also termed a “pressure hangover” in an article titled “Creativity Under the Gun” in the Harvard Business Review.  The article notes that working under pressure situations can require a few days for recovery.  This idea supports further the idea that chronic stressful conditions increase risk of illness, by not allowing recuperation time between pressure intensive projects.

For me, the work stresses in addition to other life stressors were making it more difficult to keep my emotions in check.  The phrase “Let it go” was oft repeated by friends and colleagues, with an occasional “You care too much”.  So how does one manage if you want to care about life but have no framework on just how is it you, “Let it go”?  Even while “being proactive” is a catch phrase in corporate America, there is a gap in proactive work being done to create Healthy Workplaces as it relates specifically to mental health.  Seemingly ever-increasing stress levels in the workplace are compounded by evidence I observed that organizational leaders are not fully prepared to handle employees who are facing severe stress, depression or other mental illnesses, and even less those that are contemplating suicide.  I would say this is mostly due to lack of knowledge versus lack of caring.

As is mentioned later in the HRCrossing article, I followed the path of many HR professionals, and took my own advice in making a change.  I resigned after 10 years in an intense corporate environment to pursue a master’s degree in Social Enterprise at American University with the intention to find structural solutions for healthier workplaces and work lives.  This program is allowing me to bring together my experience from business, entrepreneurial practices for new business structures – whether for profit or non-profit – and a commitment to live and encourage more balanced living of integrity.  In the course of my studies, I researched whether there were people applying the methods and ideals of Social Entrepreneurship to the field of mental health in the workplace and came across the Carson J Spencer Foundation (CJSF).  In particular CJSF’s program, Working Minds, is an answer to what I had observed during my time in Human Resources and Management and was encouraged by how they are bringing the entrepreneurial spirit to this conundrum creating healthy workplaces nationally and internationally. 

Working Minds showcase workplaces that practice innovative and effective approaches in promoting mental health at work through contests.  They also open dialogue about mental health in the workplace by providing education and training in suicide prevention.  This approach not only works to help the individuals facing challenges, it also contributes to the organizations through a double bottom line of social/health benefit and financial benefit.  Instead of the costs associated with absenteeism and turnover, Working Minds equips leaders to create a working environment where staff can get assistance and continue to contribute to the organization.  The training normalizes the discussion of mental health, and provides intervention skills when needed.  There is also focus on re-integration after crisis situations, all of which helps create an environment where people can reach out for help as well as continue to contribute.

I am excited about what Carson J Spencer Foundation (CJSF) and Working Minds is accomplishing and being a part of expanding their work.  I encourage you to join in the effort by being a changemaker in your organization.  Open the dialogue with your leaders about creating a healthier workplace.  If you or any colleague you work with is at a crisis point, reach out for help through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.  This link can also provide more information about warning signs.  Become informed and ask for training from Working Minds.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kate Burke is a consultant with over 15 years of experience in business in the private and non-profit sectors.  Ms. Burke's most recent experience is in operational management and human resources with the professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.  She focused on performance management, process improvement and change management projects in San Francisco Bay Area and Washington Metro Area.  Ms. Burke has also worked with a locally based management company, a national non-profit higher education association and national life insurance company.
Ms. Burke holds a B.A. from Westmont College in International Studies with an emphasis in Latin America, including studies in Costa Rica.  She is a Masters candidate in Social Enterprise with the School of International Service at American University in Washington, DC.