A New Guide Promotes the Understanding of Mental Health in Workplaces

Promoting the understanding of mental health in workplaces is everyone’s business, according to Comcare CEO Paul O’Connor.
To create workplaces that are mentally healthy and to build workplace confidence to respond to mental ill health at work, the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) and Comcare have produced a new guide Working together: Promoting mental health and wellbeing at work.
“One in five Australians have experienced a mental health disorder in the last 12 months and just under 7 per cent of workers in any organisation will develop clinically significant depression in any one year,” Mr O’Connor said. “Mental ill health is one of the major obstacles to a life in work and we need to do more. “Leaders and managers need to build disability confidence. “The profile of our workforce needs to reflect the community that we serve and the APS needs to set the standard.”
Mr O’Connor said the Guide would provide practical advice on how to build levels of confidence around mental health issues in the work community.
The Guide provides practical advice on building levels of confidence around mental health issues and covers topics such as how to create respectful workplaces, how to talk about mental health, how to manage risks to prevent harm, recognising when help is needed and supporting return to work.
The Guide was developed in collaboration with experts in mental health including employees with lived experience of mental ill health, beyondblue, the Australian Human Rights Commission and colleagues
across the Australian Public Service.
The Guide is a key initiative of the Australian Public Service Commission’s As One – APS Disability Employment Strategy.
A copy of the new guide Working together: Promoting mental health and wellbeing at work is available for download from the APSC website.