Mental Health in the Workplace: Importance, Programs, and Evaluation

This article discusses the importance of mental health in the workplace and the different programs that can be implemented to promote it. It also covers how to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs and includes information on target audience, cultural considerations, and evaluation methods.

MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE
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Part 1
1. Employees are prone to occupational work-related issues very often intense which trigger
stress leading to various psychological, physical and social disorders. To keep their employees
fit, increase productivity, efficiency and to prevent and provide remedy, employers intend to
counsel and encourage employees to consult through what is known as Employee Assistance
Programs (EAPs), also for family members of the employee. Critics have said interventions
should be made at an organizational level rather than being made at an individual level. There
are costs in occupational stress both at humanistic and financial level (Porter, Mirabito, & Baun,
2017). EAPs are generally designed to help manage personal life issues of employees, their
spouses and their dependents if any. EAP therapists usually provide assessment, care, and
transfers to supplementary means such as therapists for a limited number of program-paid
therapy sessions. EAPs typically have programs run for substance misuse work-related tension,
emotional suffering, life events, together with childbirths, accidents and demises, health care
uncertainties, economic or not related to work law apprehensions etc. (Mattke, Liu, & Caloyeras,
2013). These services are generally free to the worker and their nearest family and are provided
by the establishment or with third party company to manage the establishment’s EAP. It was
found that the integrated worksite in organization’s structure with a bulk of focus on prevention
like encouraging relatively healthier employee to undertake stress management programs,
healthy eating and increase of physical activity through exercise with different financial
incentives to promote participation. Frequent discussions on mental health and realization that
having mental health issue is a part of daily life for most people. The information and resource
providence for the recognition of different symptoms and diseases like biometric screening
programs to check for high blood pressure or other cardio vascular issues, weight management
through proper diet and workout. The Smoking cessation, weight management, lifestyle
coaching programs help an individual change his behavior with timely follow-up to check the
progress being made however also ready to deal with the relapse. Proper mechanisms like office
clinic to address existing health problems with an aim to control and reduce the progression of
condition. A supportive team environment where colleagues easily recognizes their peers.
Leaders would open up about their own mental health challenges, take charge of their own
mental health and thus set up an example to others. It also can be telehealth and online

counselling as it might be hard to find time to give a visit to the therapist and uneasiness
associated with explaining the management reason for absence so also people could also open up
more about their problems being anonymous.
2. Goodwill Industries International Inc. not for profit association has been providing
employment training, employment appointment services, and other society centered programs for
individuals who have obstacles thwarting them from otherwise gaining a job. Goodwill
Industries also employs old-timers and individuals who lack education or work familiarity (Fry,
2017). They provide paid time off to the workers, to choose the best time usage according to
their personal priorities, health insurance for the workers to meet health uncertainties and related
financial anxieties.
Dominion is a power and energy company that deals in electricity and gas. The major component
of the program is aimed at to help workers develop on their way to feeling virtuous and saving
money through “Well on your way” program (Dominion, n.d.).
Lincoln Industries also known as progress rail services corporation, believe that supporting their
people’s wellbeing is a thorough investment in their company, as they think the most significant
asset of the company is its people (Lincoln Industries Innovation Inspired, n.d.). The major
component is an on-site well-being center that inspires healthy picks in food, life style and helps
workers manage grave health risk dynamics
3. Goodwill Inc. offers a vigorous program which is named Goodlife. They have initiatives like
Paid Time Off Which Provides workers with time rendering to their personal needs for vacation
and as personal days and sick days, according to the employee’s personal choice. Prescription
drug coverage pays for the worker’s dental coverage, vision coverage medicine and medical bills
(Goodwill, n.d.). The programs also comprise of: awareness and teaching initiatives about mental
and physical health, Employee healthiness challenges, Health tutoring offered by registered
nurses, All-inclusive sustenance programs with concessions to wellbeing centers and wellness
resources. The company says tenacity of the EAP program is to provide the worker with the
capability to receive confidential help in solving personal difficulties.
The Well on Your Way program compromises workers of more than just assistance in getting
healthy; the program places effective wellness trappings right at workers’ fingertips. Applicants

in the program can take help of: Free admittance to well-being coaching. The coaching is piloted
by well-being professionals, such as nurses and dieticians, it addresses a range of areas,
comprising weight management, anxiety management, food, and more. A tobacco cessation
program which the workers can effortlessly access online (Cavanaugh, 2018). Reproductive
well-being programs focus on harmless pregnancies and healthy babies and also a 365 days and
24 hours Nurse Line driven by Anthem. Dominion inspires cautious workers to plunge into
wellness programs by proposing a concession on medical aids to anybody who concludes two
wellness actions within 90 days of their employment date. They also outspread the benefit to
workers’ partners or spouses enclosed underneath the company’s well-being plan.
The company has the worker’s wellness initiatives in place to back up their beliefs. Their
initiatives make workers happier and healthier. They provide all the means workers could
conceivably want to make smart picks and take control of their well-being. Lincoln Industry
provides: An on-site well-being center that inspires healthy picks and helps workers manage
grave health risk dynamics, including tobacco use, weight linked problems, and high cholesterol.
An on-site fitness center that’s open to workers, spouses, and children 24 hours a day and 7 days
a week (Huhman, 2017). The company believes such an offering will disband shared fitness
obstacles, such as a dearth of time or means. The fitness center is provided with top-of-the-line
apparatus that accommodates to a diversity of fitness needs all free of cost.
4. As two out of the three organizations I researched were equal employment opportunity
employers hence they had people from a variety of cultural backgrounds. People from different
cultural background may have different sensitivities to the programs and incentives offered. I did
not specifically find any cultural consideration in the EAPs but had it been there it could have
been more inclusive and encouraging.
5. Smoking and Alcohol consumption prevalence was relatively higher in male. Anxiety,
depression was found relatively higher in females. There were programs to address smoking
cessation and other substance abuse while the female employees were counselled at workplace
and further referred to dedicated therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists on company
incentives.
6. The programs were highly effective as the employees found it comfortable to discuss their
sensitive issues in a confidential way, Twenty-four-hour presence or availability of crisis

management counselors at workplace or through telephone line from work or home (Dooley,
2013). The employers benefitted from the successful implementation of EAP as the personal
issues such as physical, emotional, health, financial, legal et cetera if any present with the help of
EAPs were addressed, the employees were better focused because of them being in good health
and delightful. EAPs helped reduced nonattendance, company turnover misfortunes, terminations
and reduction in the cost of health insurance.
Part 2
1. I would like to be the administrator in my development team for mental health and wellness
program. The administrator is someone who can take the charge and act like a leader in
developing and implementing policies. The administrator can create different programs and
reach to provide mental health services to the targeted people. He at first evaluates the need of
the people or the community and develops applicable services on the basis of the requirement.
He is the one who can review the needs by interacting with the people or through different
survey programs so that the people can understand that their needs are being addressed and thus
establishes trust or bonding which is significant in any wellness programs (Aldana, 2018). He
then can take the charge to implement those plans by delegating task individually to the team
members.
2. The main goal of the program will be to bring the positive changes in the relationships,
lifestyle, education and overall well ness of all the people associated with the program. Its main
objective is to promote mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health in people which helps in
establishing a healthy working environment also results in increasing overall productivity of the
people and the organization. In order to achieve the desired outcomes, the program will offer the
associated people with best of the assistance with all the available resources so that all of their

needs are addressed (Street & James, n.d.). These programs will also help in establishing
partnership with different community partners like local experts, health professionals which will
also help in promoting mental health to the people of the community.
3. The needs of the programs can be identified by interacting with the people to understand the
type of issues they are facing, by checking the history of the people associated with the
programs, by conducting surveys at different levels. The data or the statistics from the
government organization can also be useful in identifying the problems of the target region.
Similarly, the data collected from the feedbacks of the people visiting the workplace, conducting
sessions by inviting professionals working in the similar organization & collect their ideas and
views & also by inviting interested people so that the management can interact with the people
directly to understand their expectation (Shern, Strecher, & Goetzel, 2018). It is necessary to
assess the workplace in order to determine the health problems of the people, their fitness level
and their interest in different wellness programs so that the program is developed and
implemented according to their issues they are experiencing. The main aim is to develop
wellness program by assessing the issue of the people so that they perceive that the program is
the need and they can participate willingly. If the people don’t see a benefit to a program then
there will be have a very less engagement and participation.
4. The list of target audience will include all those people who are finding difficult in carrying
out their daily activities due to different factors like depression, work pressure, poor medical
condition, low self-esteem, unhealth habits, smoking, obesity, family issues, etc. and those who
are interested in the programs for promoting healthy lifestyle. This list of people will be
consisting of employers from various organisations, professional or nonprofessional workers,
private or government employees and all the people working under intense pressure
environments (Malachowski, Boydell, & Sawchuk, 2016). The objective of this program is to
influence all the affected people about the importance of good physical, mental and social well-
being so that they are always motivated in performing their jobs and influence others to practice
same. These changes are necessary as it plays significant role in developing and implementing
different policies and programs within the working environment.

5. The activities and programs will target both the people and management associated in
conducting and implementing those programs. The programs will especially target issues related
to mental, physical, social and psychological issues affecting the health of the people. This will
include programs which will promote practicing healthy habits, lifestyle and conducting different
sessions to help people in resolving them to maintain balance between their social and
professional life. The programs will even train all the professionals and managers associated with
the program through different sessions regarding the audience backgrounds, their likes or
dislikes, religion, languages so that while conducting training the staffs and professionals
understand the need and preferences of the audiences. The programs will include drills and
assessment tools required to evaluate the safety and psychological issues. The sessions will also
include a discussion and video orientation to help mangers in their groups for considering factors
in the workplace which can influence mental health.
6. The programs will be held through video orientation and presentation, scenario-based
learning, case studies to relate with real life situations, interactive sessions which will help in
evaluating the audience participation and their weak areas, counselling sessions, etc. This will be
a conducted in two phases with an interval of 3 months (Tan, Gayed, & Barnes, 2017). The first
phase will deal with all the required training modules and sessions while the second phase will
be an interactive phase where the people can share their experience after the programs. The
people will be provided with all the programs videos, presentations, reference materials which
will assist them in dealing with all the issues explained throughout the programs.
7. As it very evident for any mental and well programs to develop and conduct programs as per
the audience cultural background so that each people are being treated with respect & dignity
they deserved. The programs will especially include an interactive session individually to
understand each people preferences and their views on the training modules (Jones, Molitor, &
Reif, 2018). This will also help in promoting cultural value among the people & will influence
others to practice the same in their working environments. These programs will also help in
establishing the trust and bond between the trainer and audience which is essential in successful
implementation of any programs.

8. The evaluation on the effectiveness of the program will be conducted through effective
supervision on the participation of the audience where the supervisor will be in direct
communication with the managers to share his observation on the progress of the audience. This
will ensure there is no lag in the programs and the issues is being dealt in a collaborative way.
There will be an interactive session where the managers will be taking feedbacks from the
audience regarding the issue existing in the work place (Mazur & Mazur-Małek, 2016). The
managers will be conducting sessions among the staffs to understand the challenges they are
facing and taking the suggestions and opinions of the staffs to resolve the issues. Lastly, after the
completion of the programs, the target audience will have to attend a session through one to one
session to share their feedbacks on the outcome of the program.
References
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