The Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce held a Mental Health In The Workplace Forum on Thursday, February 10. The platform provided a panel discussion with local mental health specialists, including Dr. Cynthia C. Romero, director of the Brock Institute at Eastern Virginia Medical School; Dr. Kurt Hooks, CEO of the Virginia Beach Psychiatric Center; and Dr. Nedra Moncrief-Craig, behavior health services director for Sentara Healthcare.
Priscilla Monti, senior vice president of programs and communications with the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, said she felt it was imperative to address the topic of mental health in the workplace because she realized that many of the chamber’s members were bringing people back to the workplace for the first time after almost two years of working remotely.
While many of the chamber’s larger company members often have strong human resources departments that can offer employee assistance programs or some type of onsite help to assist with their employees’ mental health, many smaller businesses don’t have the luxury of ample resources. The local business advocate wanted to be certain that the leaders knew what to look for as teams reunite in the office.
“Many of us have lost friends and family and everyone is still grieving,” said Monti. “Some workplaces are coming back to the office after losing key members. Everything has been exacerbated by the pandemic and we can’t just go on ‘business as usual’ because it’s going to bubble up.”
Dr. Romero spoke about ways business leaders can start to address mental health challenges in the workplace if they’re navigating new territory. She said the first step is acknowledging what mental health needs the business has and recognizing that everyone is experiencing some sort of mental health challenge due to the pandemic. After evaluating the business’s individual needs, leaders are encouraged to access available resources within and outside of their organizations.
“Businesses are a significant player in helping to support the physical and mental health and wellness of our communities because of the large influence they have with their employees,” said Romero. Since full-time employees tend to spend a third of their day or more working, Romero believes that addressing mental-health awareness in the workplace will ultimately benefit a larger portion of the population through a trickle-down effect.
Hooks discussed the benefits of dropping the negative stigma that can be associated with mental health issues and encouraged business leaders to provide an open and transparent environment where employees feel safe discussing their needs.
“Our lives are dynamic, and generally speaking, we get through our adjustments with patience, understanding, and hope,” said Hooks. “There may be some signals to stay tuned in to if the disruption comes to the point that it’s causing problems, and it’s important for people to seek out the help they need while working through periods of adjustment.”
Monti said the meeting was a success with its members, and while mental health in the workplace issues aren’t going to be solved with one forum, the Chamber is dedicated in their mission of raising mental health awareness.
“This is something that the Chamber may not have addressed two years ago. We may have thought, ‘it’s not business-related, therefore, not in our wheelhouse’,” said Monti. “It is now. We’re going to have another Mental Health In The Workplace Forum on May 17, as May is Mental Health Awareness Month.”
For more information on the forum and mental health resources, click here.
