Corporations across the country from Adobe to Yahoo! have taken the StigmaFree pledge through the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The companies have made a commitment to help create an accepting and healthy culture within their workplace environment.
NAMI Wood County has adapted the national initiative to the local level, bringing the opportunity to erase the stigma associated with mental health to companies of any size in the county.
“A lot of companies are talking about employee wellness. We are able to help them find different ways to embed that into the culture of their workplace,” said Courtney Rice, manager of development and marketing at NAMI Wood County. “We are just a small part, but we are helping with culture change.”
NAMI hosted a Workplace Wellness Workshop in July to introduce local businesses to the concept of the StigmaFree workplace and some of the available mental health resources. More than a dozen people participated in the workshop, and several have requested additional mental health resources and trainings, and a couple of them want to commit to the StigmaFree program, Rice said.
In Wood County, the StigmaFree program can look different for different companies. “We meet businesses where they are at, so we can cater to their needs. It’s not a one size fits all,” Rice said.
Often, they are looking for mental health educational materials to place in their facility, she said. Other times they might want a suicide prevention program because they are aware of an employee who is struggling or in crisis. Or they might want to implement a comprehensive training initiative to demonstrate their commitment to being a stigma-free workplace, she said.
NAMI has several topic-specific trainings that companies can access by attending the public presentations, or they can schedule a training specific to all of their employees or a specific group.
Available trainings include:
General Mental Health—a one-hour educational presentation on mental health-related topics.
Mental Health First Aid—an eight-hour course that teaches participants how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.
Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR— a one- to two-hour suicide prevention training to identify the warning signs of suicide, and the question, persuade and refer process to help people at risk for suicide.
NAMI Provider—a four-hour course to introduce mental health professionals to the unique perspectives of people with mental health conditions and their families.
All of the trainings are available virtually or in person either as an on-site or off-site training. “We can do whatever a company needs and offer that at a low-cost rate,” Rice said.
Hartman saw the possibility of creating a revenue source for NAMI Wood County by offering the StigmaFree programming to local companies. Because NAMI is anonprofit organization, the cost is tax-deductible and can be used as a write-off, she said.
Many of the companies already dedicate funds for wellness programming. “StigmaFree fits in perfectly with a wellness program,” Rice said.
There is also the option of attending one of the public training sessions they offer which are supported via the Wood County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board.
They also received a BG Community Foundation grant in January to start the program, in addition to an outreach program to clergy and faith communities.
The process to get involved is simple.
“Just call or email and let us know what you are interested in. We will meet to talk through their goals and develop a plan for what they are looking for,” Rice said.
Rice and Amanda Like, manager of programs and community education, develop a plan, write a contract and explain prices specific to each company. Once a plan is approved, NAMI schedules the trainings and consults with company representatives as often as necessary whether to troubleshoot mental health concerns or just to keep updated on progress.
“We want to make sure we are catering to all the needs of our community, small companies and large corporations,” Rice said.
For more information, visit the NAMI Wood County website, email or call the office at 419-352-0626.
