In response to the global demand for guidance on how employers can address mental health, USF College of Behavioral and Community Sciences has partnered with the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay to offer a free online course designed to help managers and employees become more well-versed in addressing mental health and its impact on their organizations.
The program is called Mental Health and Wellness in the Workplace. It is a seven-session course that covers symptoms of some of the most common mental and behavioral disorders. It will also show how to identify behaviors that may suggest an impairment and how to approach the employee. It will also include information on available resources to help businesses attract and retain top talent.
A new two-hour session will be released each week, with all sessions becoming available at the end of July. The course features 40 speakers from organizations and corporations across the country, such as Tampa Electric, Bealls and USAA. The group of professionals includes executive coaches, intervention specialists and several USF faculty and staff members who have an expertise in mental health and human resources.
“Every year, businesses lose billions of dollars due to mental and behavioral health issues experienced by members of their workforce or their family members. These financial losses can be attributed to absenteeism, a decrease in productivity and medical claims. In addition, there are considerable reputational repercussions due to high employee turnover, job dissatisfaction and poor morale. Identifying workers at all levels of an organization with mental or behavioral health issues and securing assistance for them is essential,” said Julie Serovich, dean of the USF College of Behavioral and Community Sciences.
“There is no question that the past several years had an incredible impact on the mental health and well-being of the more than 160 million people in the U.S. workforce,” said Clara Reynolds, president and CEO of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay. “Major events including the pandemic, social unrest and now financial uncertainty have taken their toll on our communities. Now, more than ever before, it is critical that we build healthy organizational cultures to protect workforce well-being, while at the same time acknowledging the economic impact mental and behavioral health issues can have on a business,” added Reynolds.
While the course is free and open to the public, registration is required. Please visit www.usf.edu/mhww.
