Helping Humans “Home from Work” – How to be a Mental Health Ally
“Work/life balance." It's a mantra, a catchphrase, a term that's meant to describe an individual's ability to somehow equitably balance the demands of work with the demands of life. However, well before the COVID-19 pandemic the ever-increasing “always-on” expectations organizations placed on employees meant that work/life balance was a theory and work/life integration was the reality where employees bring "work" home, while also bringing "home" to work.
For many, this reality has adversely affected both their mental health and emotional well-being and supporting them is more important than ever—and empathic, empowered HR professionals can provide that support. Yet, while HR professionals may have the motivation and desire to help their organizations address the mental health and wellness of their workforce they may not have the experience or training necessary to do so.
In this session, HR professionals and workplace leaders will learn how they can serve as “Mental Health Allys” in today’s ever-changing workplace by proactively identifying and empathically supporting employees facing work/life integration challenges.
No matter what or where work is, HR professionals have a vital role to play in promoting mental health wellness at organizational and individual levels. SHRM and the SHRM Foundation can now provide empathic HR leaders with the resources and tools that will have an immeasurable impact on their organizations and the lives of the individual employees they serve.
Learning Objectives:
- The near and long-term benefits (for both the organization and the individual) of serving as a “Mental Health Ally” in today’s workplace.
- How to support employees in the workplace, wherever that workplace is—physical or virtual, local or remote.
- Learn about the SHRM Workplace Mental Health and Wellness initiative - a program that empowers HR professionals to be the link between employees in need and the support they deserve.
- How to earn the and the Workplace Mental Health Ally Certificate – SHRM’s online certificate program with courses covering such topics as common mental health conditions, substance use, suicide and violence prevention, diversity and bias, effective communication skills, and safety planning.
In-person session offerings are on a first-come, first-served basis.
Andrew Morton
As SHRM’s Director of Certification and Veteran Affairs Andrew Morton works with the military and veterans' organizations to develop workforce readiness pathways for veterans and military-families. As part of SHRM’s Speaker’s Bureau Andrew informs and empowers organizations in their inclusion-hiring efforts across many populations including Veterans, individuals with disabilities, and Returning Citizens as part of SHRM’s Getting Talent Back to Work Initiative. He is the contributing author to Justin Constantine’s SHRM published book “From We Will to At Will- A Handbook for Veteran Hiring, Transitioning and Thriving in Today’s Workplace.”
Andrew, a retired Infantry-Officer, served in several leadership roles during multiple overseas and combat tours (Iraq, Bosnia, Macedonia and Egypt) in his 21-year Army career. He also served as the Chief of Marketing and Advertising for the Army Reserve. Prior to his arrival at SHRM in 2014 Andrew previously served as public relations director for a PR firm in Alexandria.
Andrew is passionate about awareness and resources in support of mental health within our workforce and society at large and is currently completely his Masters in Mental Health Counseling at the College of William and Mary.