Outside of the pandemic, heightened concerns over global conflict, shifting societal pressures and economic instability are negatively affecting our mental health and the workplace is no exception, particularly for people in the health care field.
Nikeisha Whatley-León, system director of behavioral health services at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, has seen mental and behavioral health issues rise over the past few years, but admits the stigma for recognizing the need for and action to seek help is changing.
“While health care workers were hit hard with a mental crisis during the pandemic, we’re also seeing a shift around the stigma of mental health and an overall increased focus on mental health in the workplace,” says Whatley-León. “We’re hearing more positive and productive conversations around this topic, particularly as employees are looking for employers and organizations who will truly support their mental health needs.”
Northside is hyper-focused on the mental health and well-being of its staff. The Georgia hospital system offers many different programs, initiatives and benefits that aim to support its employees, especially those that care for its mental and behavioral health patients.
One such program is Northside Hospital’s STAR (Striving To Achieve Resilience) program. Modeled after the Resilience in Stressful Events team at Johns Hopkins Hospital, the STAR program establishes a framework and culture where hospital employees can provide skilled, nonjudgmental, and confidential support to other Northside employees and employee groups. This unique program facilitates the development of peer responders within Northside who deliver psychological first aid and emotional support to their fellow teammates following complex work-related events. It encourages hospital leaders to walk the halls and unit floors, checking in with staff to ensure they are aware of the services Northside offers and to get them help if it’s needed.
Whatley-León advocates mental health should be prioritized as a year-round discussion to continue normalizing the conversation, reducing the stigma and ensuring people get the help they need when they need it.
For example, Northside recently hosted its Healing for Healers event, which was born from a need to protect the mental well-being of not only Northside’s patients but also the people who heal them. Designed for Northside’s mental and behavioral health teams, the events help alleviate stress, employees to decompress, recharge and take care of their own mental health. This month’s event was held at the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell and included goat yoga, a zipline canopy tour and a nature walk, among the other attractions the facility offers.
“Mental health staff are always taking care of others, absorbing other people’s emotions, trauma and problems,” says Whatley-León. “They can easily be triggered by patients and experiences and can find themselves dealing with their own personal challenges in addition to those of their patients. It’s important someone is there to check in with these professionals and that they take time for themselves to process their emotions.”
In addition, Northside also offers its employees other benefits including work-life balance, employee assistance programs that care for various emotional, psychological, and lifestyle needs, well-being support through stress management apps and life assistance programs.
“Health care workers face daily challenges that can affect them mentally and emotionally, making a wide variety of support programs an important resource to have available whenever necessary,” mentions Whatley-León.
As the U.S. continues to see an uptick in mental health issues, it’s critical for companies and organizations to prioritize these conversations and bring them to the forefront. It's more than just referring staff to call a number for help. Offering employees various outlets, programs, tools, and resources within the workplace can promote a healthy mindset and well-being. It's also important to offer mental health training for managers and workers so they can quickly recognize and respond if a situation arises.
“In a health care setting, all employees benefit from positive mental health,” concludes Whatley-León. “We must ensure the high-quality care we deliver to our patients is also given to our workers who are taking care of those in the community.”
If you or someone you know is in a crisis and needs to speak to someone urgently, please call or message the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.
Learn about behavioral health services available at Northside.
