CMHA Ontario is pleased to celebrate the first anniversary of Canada’s first-ever National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace in Canada. Created by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) and partners on Jan. 16, 2013, the Standard is a world first and entirely voluntary. It helps employers of all sizes, and in all sectors, promote good mental health and prevent psychological harm for every employee. It does this by providing the guidelines, resources and tools needed to build a mentally healthy workplace. For example, the Standard can help with:
- the identification and elimination of hazards in the workplace that pose a risk of psychological harm to a worker;
- the assessment and control of the risks in the workplace associated with hazards that cannot be eliminated (for example, stressors due to organizational change or reasonable job demands);
- implementing practices that support and promote psychological health and safety in the workplace; and
- fostering a culture that promotes psychological health and safety in the workplace.
“CMHA Ontario applauds the Mental Health Commission of Canada for its work to on the Standard and we’re pleased to mark its one-year anniversary,” said CMHA Ontario CEO Camille Quenneville. “The Standard is an important step in providing a framework to prevent workplace-related mental health problems and illnesses.”
To mark the one-year inception, MHCC announced plans to further work with Canadian businesses to help more workplaces across Canada adopt the Standard. CMHA National also marked the anniversary and called for a guide to specifically help smaller business adopt the Standard to improve workplace mental health.
Consistent with the Standard, CMHA Ontario offers CMHA offers specific training and support through its nationwide workplace mental health program including, Mental Health Works and its annual nationwide workplace event, The Bottom Line Conference
Mental Health Works is based out of CMHA Ontario and also provided through other CMHA locations across Canada. The program helps build capacity within Canadian workplaces to effectively address the many issues related to mental health in the workplace.
The Bottom Line Conference, a CMHA BC initiative, is an informative and practically-based conference that brings together senior leaders, HR professionals, managers, occupational health and safety advisors, wellness and mental health experts. Through interactive workshops and dynamic speakers, participants receive detailed, tangible and actionable information to improve organization and individual employee psychological health and safety
Read the CMHA National news release and MHCC news release on the one-year anniversary of the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace in Canada.
Read more about the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace in Canada