Every time there is a death by suicide in our community the ripple effects are huge, impacting families, friends, neighborhoods and co-workers. As we mark suicide prevention month this September, I’d like to suggest that we place increased focus on creating healthy, supportive and safe space in the workplace.
The fact is that the majority of suicide deaths occur among individuals who are working age. That suggests that the workplace provides a prime opportunity to invest in prevention efforts. Working adults spend a significant portion of their waking hours at work. What’s more, the work environment can have a huge impact on life satisfaction, self-esteem and a host of other factors that impact mental health.
Over the past year, our organization, CommonSpirit, has made a major commitment to improving employee well-being and mental health. While we had long supported Zero Suicide initiatives, this took on new focus when our region president — my boss — shared his personal experience of nearly losing his oldest son to suicide.
Hope certification
The journey our five Holy Cross Hospitals are on is called HOPE certification. HOPE stands for “Helping Our People Elevate through tough times.” Think of it as LEED certification for mental health. It’s a structured approach to improving workplace mental health.
One person is one too many to lose to suicide.
The certification began by teaching our leaders how to talk about mental health, and looking for opportunities to reduce the stigma. We have to make it just as OK to say that we’re having a rough time emotionally, as it is to talk about needing shoulder surgery, or discussing high blood pressure or a recent bout with pneumonia.
Our HOPE certification began by understanding how our employees view our workplace culture — where do they feel supported; are they aware of resources such as EAP (Employee Assistance Program), or the 988 hotline. Based on feedback we gathered through surveys and focus groups, we are now working to create specific plans for addressing our team members’ needs.
Supporting one another
I applaud the way our community has embraced suicide prevention in recent years — the ad campaigns, the distribution of gun locks, HOPE squads in the schools and much more. All that said, I would like to issue a challenge to my colleagues at employers large and small throughout Utah, to find ways to embrace this effort to improve the mental health of our workers.
It doesn’t have to be through a national certification program, it could be as simple as creating a culture where employees feel it’s “OK to not be OK,” and to be willing to talk openly about their challenges.
One person is one too many to lose to suicide. Together we can take additional meaningful steps to support those around us.