The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many things, but once things calmed down, some of the negative impacts turned into positive ones.
For example, more children and adults than ever before are struggling with stress, anxiety, depression and isolation, according to the Colorado Health Foundation’s latest Pulse survey released Tuesday.
But there is also a greater understanding and acceptance of mental health issues and the need for help, says Nicole Johnston, project manager for the Suicide Prevention Collaborative of El Paso County. The group of industry leaders works to reduce suicide attempts and deaths by suicide.
“The question is how can we reach people before there is a crisis and how can we reduce stigma,” she said.
With this perspective, the group launched the first Workplace Wellbeing Summit in the Pikes Peak region to develop a healthier, safer and more productive workforce.
The opening event will be held on Thursday, August 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the COS City Hub, 4303 Austin Bluffs Parkway. The cost to attend is $50 per person. Registration is available at https://pikespeaksuicidepreventionpartnership.salsalabs.org/WorkerWellBeingSummit/index.html.
The interactive workshop is designed for teams of two to five members from any organization or company, Johnston said. Fifty of 125 spots are still available, and representatives of large companies are especially needed to round out the number of participants, she said.
“There are so many people who can be impacted by the mental health message in their workplace, especially post-pandemic,” Johnston said. “Sometimes just providing more resources in break rooms or changing the way we conduct meetings is enough.”
Summit participants will be provided with practical tools and ideas for implementing best practices, she said.
The event will be moderated by Sally Spencer-Thomas, an internationally renowned clinical psychologist from Conifer who helped found Man Therapy and the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention.
Promoting employee mental health can improve individual well-being and also increase productivity and morale in the workplace, says Jonathan Liebert, CEO and executive director of the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado and a member of the consortium.
“By reducing stigma, encouraging open discussions about mental health and implementing supportive policies in the workplace, we can create a healthier, more supportive work environment and a strong, more resilient community,” he said in a statement.
Three in five of the 2,404 Colorado adults who responded to this year’s Pulse survey, conducted by phone and online from May 20 to June 24, reported experiencing mental health distress in the past year, a slight increase from the previous year.
Of those respondents who reported distress, 41% said they had postponed seeking mental health care in the past year, up significantly from the 27% who said they had postponed seeking mental health care in 2023.
This is one reason why it is so important to strengthen support in the workplace, Johnston said.
Saunders Construction Inc., which employs about 520 people in offices in Colorado Springs, Denver and Fort Collins, recognizes the benefits of this approach.
There has been a noticeable difference since last December, when the company implemented new techniques from a pilot program, the HOPE certification that Spencer-Thomas teaches, said Ame Muniz, director of learning and development. The 12-month, culture-changing HOPE certification was developed by members of the National Workplace Prevention and Postvention Committee.
“We have recognized how significant the safety risk is when employees are in poor mental health,” she said. “Our goal is to give the same level of attention and care to the mental health of our employees as we do to their physical safety.”
The first step, conducting a survey on mental health needs and strengths, has already sparked discussions, Muniz said.
“This brought this topic of conversation back to the forefront in the workplace and we saw an immediate increase in questions from employees to each other and from managers to employees. Everyone was more aware of whether everything was OK.”
A team of employees from different departments, all of whom have experience of mental illness themselves or that of a loved one, was formed to listen to and guide colleagues.
The company also deliberately reduced its staffing needs this year, Muniz said.
“We’ve learned that burnout is a huge stressor. By scaling back our work schedule and giving people time to breathe, we’ve really given them a chance to find a work-life balance and get into a good mental state,” she said.
Balancing work and life is one of the challenges facing Coloradans, along with housing affordability, economic hardships, political rhetoric and other stressors cited in the 2024 Pulse survey.
“Increasing the ability of health insurance to pay for mental health services” was the most important measure to improve mental health care for 40% of survey respondents. Another 38% supported increasing government funding for mental health services, facilities, resources and prevention programs.
Another recent report from Mental Health America, “2024 State of Mental Healthcare in America,” shows Colorado losing ground, ranking 46th in the nation for high prevalence and low access to mental health care and having the third-highest per capita rate of substance abuse in the country.
The upcoming Workplace Summit supports Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade and First Lady Abbey Mobolade’s new community-wide mental health initiative, which has introduced programs such as “1,000 Neighborhood Meetings” to encourage mutual support among neighbors and “Pikes Peak Rising,” an online platform with peer-reviewed resources and validated assessments.
The mayor will speak at the summit, Johnston said.
“As a local community, we still have major problems. We have not seen a significant decrease in suicide deaths and the opioid crisis continues to challenge us, so we are looking for other ways to reach people,” she said.
