World Mental Health Day’s theme this year is “Mental Health is a Universal Human Right”.  We are often asked  by clients how they can fully embrace and bring to life themes, such as this one, in their workplaces to ensure that it is meaningful and impactful. Many organisations want to support and promote the mental health awareness calendar, but often there is uncertainty on how to authentically put into practice.

Ou facilitation team at Mental Health at Work consider  questions such as these on a daily basis, to support development and delivery of our customised programmes and workshops.  Today, we are turning to ourselves to illustrate how the WMHD theme resonates deeply with our own core values and commitment to prevention.

Our Senior Programmes Manager, Dervla Gallen explores this further, outlining each of our core company values and her thoughts on how we as an organisation are aligning with the WMHD theme this year:

We Facilitate Change:

The first core value at Mental Health at Work is facilitating change. We recognise the significance of encouraging conversations and communications about mental health within workplaces and the skills that are essential to do this.   By supporting organisations to enable these conversations and driving awareness of the role of the workplace in the prevention agenda, we contribute ensuring that every individual, regardless of their background, can access the support and understanding they deserve, emphasising mental health as a universal human right.  We believe that workplace mental health as important as all other human rights, to be upheld and protected without discrimination.

We Work as a Team:

Our second value is working as a team;  teamwork thrives when every member is valued for their unique contributions and experiences. Mental health is a universal human right that transcends differences. By valuing and embracing diversity within our team, we are better equipped to advocate for mental health and the prevention agenda within the workplace.  We collaborate closely with our clients to support achievement of  their outcomes and goals and have a role to play across our global client audience, in many small ways, through our work and thought leadership, to ensure mental health is elevated and upheld as a basic human right across all workplaces.

We are Determined:

Our third value focusses on our determination and the empowerment we give our team to deliver the work that we do. This extends beyond our passion for our client work; it includes our commitment to nurturing and protecting our mental health and supporting our colleagues in doing the same. This year’s WMHD theme reminds us that determination is critical if we are to advocate for change on a global scale, but that small steps through our daily work, do matter. We emphasise prevention by supporting, encouraging, and empowering our team to equip themselves and others with the skills necessary to respect and understand mental health as a universal human right and know where to go to to seek support if they need it.

We embrace and champion this theme, not just on World Mental Health Day, but every day, continuing to drive impact in workplaces, promote inclusivity and diversity within our team, and demonstrate our unwavering determination to protect the mental health rights of all individuals in workplaces globally, regardless of their background.

Join us in our commitment to making mental health a universal human right, not just a privilege, and strive to create a world where everyone can access the support and understanding they deserve through a prevention-focused agenda.