October is an important month for physical and mental health awareness!

Dear colleagues and friends,

October is an important month for physical and mental health awareness. Indeed, it is Canada’s Healthy Workplace Month and it highlights Mental Illness Awareness Week (October 2-9) and World Mental Health Day (October 10). To foster and nurture a culture of care at ECCC, we encourage you to take advantage of the resources created and the events organized this month:

• Canadian Healthy Workplace Month: Take the Healthy Workplace Challenge
• Mental Illness Awareness Week (October 2-8):
  • LifeSpeak: LifeSpeak Marathon – October 3
  • Canada School of Public Service: Mental Illness Awareness Week 2022: Accommodation Strategies for Employee Success
• World Mental Health Day (October 10):
  • Launch of LifeSpeak’s fall campaign: Understanding and Improving Mental Health

Furthermore, the Canadian Innovation Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace is planning many more events this month that are pertinent to help take care of others and ourselves:

• Staying in Balance at Work and Reclaiming Power Over our Mental Health, presented by Edouard Murat and Paul Simar
  • Date and time: October 4, 2022, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (ET)
    Registration deadline: October 3, 2022, 8:30 a.m. (ET)
• Ombuds Day 2022 – Resilience, Respect, Resolve, presented by Susie Roussel, Mijanoux Beauchamp, Raymond Kunze and Eliane Habib
  • Date and time: October 13, 2022, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (ET)
  • Registration deadline: October 12, 2022, 8:30 a.m. (ET)
• Breaking Down the Safety in Numbers: Ensuring your Space is a Safe Space, presented by Michael Bac
  • Date and time: October 19, 2022, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (ET)
  • Registration deadline: October 18, 2022, 8:30 a.m. (ET)
• Panel Discussion – Navigating the Hybrid Workplace with Humanity, presented by Doretta Charles, Mathilde Gourvil, Sherry Hunt and Taelor Smith
  • Date and time: October 20, 2022, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (ET)
  • Registration deadline: October 19, 2022, 8:30 a.m. (ET)
• Mental Health and Retirement, presented by Suzanne Nault
  • Date and time: October 25, 2022, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (ET)
  • Registration deadline: October 24, 2022, 8:30 a.m. (ET)
• Self-care as a way to practise compassion, presented by Sophie Abboud
  • Date and time: October 27, 2022, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (ET)
  • Registration deadline: October 26, 2022, 8:30 a.m. (ET)

I encourage you to evaluate your mental health and to regularly consult the resources available to you:

• LifeSpeak: virtual library with short videos, articles and tip sheets on various topics relating to mental health and well-being
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): free, voluntary and confidential support service for employees and their families
  • By phone, for immediate support and/or to make an appointment: 1-800-268-7708  1-800-567-5803
  • By chat, to make an appointment: Access the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Chat
• Wellness Together Canada: mental health and substance use support for people in Canada and Canadians abroad. Always free and virtual, 24/7
• Canadian Mental Health Association, to learn on mental health and mental illnesses and to find resources to support you
• Hope for Wellness Helpline: free helpline, available 24/7 to all Indigenous people across Canada
• Get help with substance use: Canada-wide and provincial resources for people who need help for substance use

Stay safe, stay well!

Respectfully,

Waheed Khan

President, National Consultation Team

Waheed.Khan@pipsc.ca