Worksite Mental Health for      Access all recorded 
                                    webinars and slides at
    Owners and Managers
                                  https://go.unc.edu/PROSPER
    1. Strategies
      a. Range of Problems
      b. Range of Programs (Worksite Wellness/Health Promotion, 
         Organizational Factors, Clinical Services)
    2. Practicalities
       STRATEGIES
   www.peersforprogress.org                                                  3
     Problems and Objectives
     Types of problems
     •   Diagnoses
          – e.g., Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
          – As per Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-5)
     •   Broad range of problems – hassles, feeling anxious or sad, family stressors, etc.
     •   Problems of the workplace – stress, morale, cohesion, absenteeism
     Objectives
     •   Reduce absenteeism
     •   Increase presenteeism
     •   Increase morale, productivity, customer satisfaction
     •   Raise reputation of company as a good place to work and progressive, reliable source of products
     •   Reduce health care costs (mental health major driver itself and contributor to physical health 
         problems)
     Layers of Programs
    Policies and Practices
    •   HR
    •   Supervision and reporting relationships                                                   Objectives
    •   Organizational climate                                                                    •    Reduce absenteeism
    Worksite Based Resources & Activities                                                         •    Increase presenteeism
    For Problems “We all Have”                                                                    •    Increase morale, productivity, 
    •    Workshops, Classes                                                                            customer satisfaction
    •    Group Programs                                                                           •    Raise reputation of company as a 
    •    Promotional Campaigns                                                                         good place to work and 
                                                                                                       progressive, reliable source of 
    Clinical Services and Resources                                                                    products
    For diagnosed problems, those needing professional care                                       •    Reduce health care costs (mental 
    •    EAP                                                                                           health major driver itself and 
    •    Adequate behavioral health coverage                                                           contributor to physical health 
    •    Family coverage (adolescent and spouse mental                                                 problems)
         health often major driver of employer health costs)
    Worksite as Community
    Range of Activities
    •   Wellness and peer support group and individual activities
    •   Incorporate mental health into general management practices, e.g., Quality Circles
    •   Company investment in resources: e.g., work-out room and equipment; nursing mothers 
        facility; attractive, private room for group meetings; healthy vending machines and 
        facilities for healthy diet – refrigerators, stoves, microwaves
    Organization and Governance
    •   Employee engagement in program direction and implementation
    •   Employee steering committee – workplace wide in small company, within units in larger
    •   When possible, choices by employees (e.g., purchases of break room equipment, topics 
        for monthly wellness meetings)
    Advantage of Community – Smoking Cessation in St. Louis
    •   Higher quit rates among those exposed to the broad campaign than among those who 
        joined classes to help them quit (Fisher et al. Am J Health Promotion 1994 9: 39-47, 75.)