When Depression Resumes Duty: Employee Wellness and Mental Health

Program Schedule

DAY ONE

Module 1: Understanding Depression in the Workplace Context

• Depression fundamentals: Facts, prevalence, and workplace impact
• The spectrum of depression: From situational to clinical manifestations
• Workplace triggers and contributing factors:
  • Job strain and demand-control imbalance
  • Organizational culture and psychological safety
  • Work relationships and social support
  • Job insecurity and economic pressures
• Work-specific manifestations of depression:
  • Presenteeism and productivity decline
  • Absenteeism patterns
  • Communication and interaction changes
  • Decision-making and risk management impacts
• Depression vs. burnout: Similarities and distinctions
• Identifying depression indicators in workplace scenarios

Module 2: The Business Case for Mental Health Support

• The economic impact of depression on organizations:
  • Direct and indirect costs
  • Productivity and performance metrics
  • Team dynamics and organizational climate
  • Innovation and creativity implications
• ROI analysis of mental health initiatives
• Legal and compliance frameworks:
  • Disability legislation and reasonable accommodations
  • Workplace health and safety obligations
  • Discrimination concerns and protections
  • Privacy and confidentiality requirements
• Building the case for mental health investment in your organization
• Class activity: Calculating the cost of unaddressed depression

 

Module 3: Creating Psychologically Safe Workplaces

• Defining psychological safety in organizational contexts
• The role of leadership in establishing mentally healthy environments
• Reducing workplace stressors:
  • Workload management and boundary setting
  • Role clarity and organizational alignment
  • Control and autonomy balancing
  • Change management approaches
• Building mental health literacy across the organization
• Reducing stigma through education and normalization
• Developing supportive management practices

 

 

 

DAY TWO

Module 4: Early Intervention and Support Strategies

• Establishing effective detection systems
• Training for managers and HR professionals:
  • Observation skills for early detection
  • Appropriate conversation approaches
  • Limits of managerial role vs. professional help
• Creating supportive conversations:
  • Language choices and framing
  • Active listening techniques
  • Empathy without problem-solving
  • Confidentiality and trust building
• Documentation and follow-up protocols
• Support resources and referral processes
• Handling initial conversations

Module 5: Intervention Models and Support Systems

• Comprehensive Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs):
  • Design and implementation
  • Promotion and utilization strategies
  • Measuring effectiveness
• Workplace accommodations and adjustments:
  • Flexible scheduling options
  • Workload modifications
  • Environmental adaptations
  • Remote work considerations
• Mental health first aid in the workplace
• Peer support programs and structures
• Technology-enabled support options
• Crisis intervention protocols
• Designing an integrated support system
• Tailoring interventions to organizational context

Module 6: Return to Work and Reintegration

• Creating effective return-to-work frameworks
• Graduated return strategies and planning
• Collaboration with healthcare providers
• Confidentiality and communication management
• Supporting managers during reintegration process
• Monitoring and adjustment protocols
• Preventing relapse through ongoing support
• Measuring successful reintegration
• Developing a return-to-work checklist
• Successful return-to-work implementations

Module 7: Building a Culture of Wellbeing

• Moving beyond intervention to prevention
• Elements of a comprehensive wellbeing strategy:
  • Physical, mental, financial, and social dimensions
  • Work-life integration approaches
  • Stress management and resilience building
  • Purpose and meaning in work
• Wellness program design principles
• Measuring and monitoring organizational mental health
• Change management for cultural transformation
• Leadership modeling and accountability
• Developing a mental health initiative roadmap
• Overcoming implementation barriers