(Author’s note: This article was first published in Issue 2, 2021 of Health Today Magazine)
Carlo Beltran struggled with mental health issues during his college days. Feeling depressed and hopeless, he once contemplated doing the ultimate act of self-harm. But through his spirituality and force of will, he fought off that urge and continued on to adulthood, eventually building a successful and fulfilling life for himself as a family-man and information technology specialist.
Now a manager for infrastructure management in the technology department of a publishing company, Carlo also serves as the co-lead of the mental health first aiders in his workplace. When he got wind that a company-supported psychological first aid training would be available in 2020, he jumped at the chance to learn more about promoting workplace mental health. “Mental health is something really close to my heart because I almost ended my life due to mental health issues. I wanted to become a [workplace mental health] first aider to serve and help the people around me who are silently suffering just by being there for them and by providing a means to support them and eventually point them in the right direction,” Carlo says.
First-aid infrastructure
The training was mostly geared toward suicide-prevention, with practical advice on how to immediately assess and address the likelihood that an at-risk colleague would complete the attempt. It wasn’t long until Carlo put his training into practice. “I was approached recently by an acquaintance at work about his mental health issues. It was a rewarding feeling to be able to help someone in need of mental health support,” Carlo says.
Eventually, the training led to the formation of an internal mental health network that would conduct activities aimed at reducing mental health stigma, promoting overall mental well-being, and providing relief to employees during the coronavirus pandemic. In effect, the employees, themselves, became a supplementary part of their own in-house mental health resources.
Carlo shares that the support of his employer regarding workplace mental health has been instrumental in keeping him and his colleagues emotionally afloat and well while fulfilling their duties, especially during the many stresses brought on by the pandemic. “Having the resources available both internally and externally spells the difference between saving a life and losing one,” Carlo says.
For example, the network conducted a Role Balance Forum in late 2020 aimed at supporting parents and carers who had to balance their professional and personal responsibilities while working from home. The forum gave space for some employees to air out their experience as well as share tips in managing their own work-from-home scenarios, with a work-life balance specialist also providing expert feedback afterward. They also held an online gratitude activity to promote positive thoughts and feelings during the enhanced community quarantine in the summer.
“This was indeed relevant in the times we are living in and brought about awareness on the struggles many of us face amidst Covid-19. Just knowing that we are not alone in our struggle is a way to alleviate the stress and difficulties of the pandemic,” Carlo says.
Seeking outside help
Besides internal support, counseling from mental health professionals is also key in maintaining workplace mental well-being. This is where counselors like Maria Pamela “Pam” Ramizo come in. A clinical psychology master’s degree holder and licensed psychologist, Pam works for PowerVision EAP Inc, one of the employee assistance program (or EAP) providers in the country. EAP is a list of services covering workplace mental health, from 24/7 crisis hotlines, a set number of free counseling sessions for employees, to collaborating with partner companies to address general well-being issues.
Having first started as a crisis hotline responder in PowerVision before being promoted to a lead counselor role, Pam has spent years assisting employees using psychotherapy techniques. This can be done online via video calls or, prior to the pandemic, in person. This assistance, though, does not exist in a vacuum. The EAP counselors need to be familiar with the partner companies they are working with, including the kind of work the employer is known for and the corporate culture.
“My role in our EAP company as a Lead Counselor does not only involve actual counseling sessions but also overseeing different functions and tasks with other members of our management such as conceptualization and implementation of protocols, attending to client feedback about their counseling experience, coordination with client companies, and ensuring overall quality of our service. More than being a psychologist, working in an EAP company also entails learning the ropes of different workplace organizations and structures. EAP is a partnership with the client company,” Pam says.
Pam shares that employees seek counseling for various reasons. Prior to the pandemic, she noticed that a lot of cases mostly dealt with personal anxiety. But when the coronavirus crisis hit, workplace-related anxiety suddenly surged. “This is mostly because of the transition to a work-from-home set-up,” Pam points out. “The adjustment to the ‘new normal’ and the uncertainty of the pandemic made some people anxious. I definitely saw the increase in demand in EAP services during the pandemic.”
She notes that there may still be some hesitation to seek counseling even during extraordinary situations like the quarantine. “There are still individuals who are conquered by their fear than their need to reach out. Seeking professional help is an individual’s own process so we cannot expect everyone to behave the same way. That is why it is even more important that help is available when the individual is already ready to reach out,” Pam asserts.
Still, Pam remains optimistic with where workplace mental health support is heading. She relates that the fact that these services exist and are already starting to be embraced by companies are already signs of significant progress. “Over the years, I believe that there is already an increase of EAP providers which may actually reflect the increase in demand,” Pam points out. “More companies have become more proactive in implementing mental health support, which is a very big step since this will make employees feel valued.”
Steady progress
The Mental Health Act (Republic Act No. 11036) has paved the way for progress when it comes to workplace mental health in the Philippines. In 2020, the Guidelines for Implementation of Mental Health Workplace Policies and Programs for the Private Sector was released by the Department of Labor and Employment, providing an outline to employers. This covers things such as advocacy, information, education and training on mental health, promoting work-life balance of employees, identification and management of work related stress and stressors, among others.
To that end, Employee Assistance Programs can help companies formulate their own mental health policies and practices. “I believe not many might be aware that the [DOLE mental health guidelines] already exist, so bringing awareness to this and helping our client companies have their own regulations is also one of our company’s goals this 2021,” says Pam.
With proper information and collaboration of companies, employees, and mental health professionals, workplace mental health can only improve from here on.
SOUL THEORY 