Speaker: Maya Toussaint (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayatoussaint/ This session was presented at SocialHRCamp Montreal 2023 on October 26, 2023. Diversity, equity and inclusion isn’t just about hiring from different underrepresented communities. In this session we will talk about how mental health is at the center of the DEI Venn diagram and how we can make employees feel more included when we open talk about mental health issues and psychological safety.

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STUCK IN THE MIDDLE:
MENTAL HEALTH & DEI
October 2023

2. WHO AM I?
MAYA TOUSSAINT
SOCIAL IMPACT PROGRAM MANAGER
WINE LOVER & VINYL COLLECTOR
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION ADVOCATE
HYDRATION CHAMPION

3. HOW
ARE
YOU,
REALLY?

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The term refers to a state of well-being in
which an individual:
● Realizes his/her/their own abilities
● Can cope with the normal stresses of life
● Can work productively.
● Is able to make a contribution to
his/her/their community.
Mental Health is often used interchangeably
with Mental Illness (conditions such as
anxiety, depression, etc.)
Mental health is about wellness NOT illness
WHAT IS
MENTAL
HEALTH?

5. WHERE DOES MENTAL HEALTH FIT IN?
WHY IS IT A DEI ISSUE?

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Some
Stressors that
impact
underrepresented
Groups
Unconscious Bias
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From: Mental Health at Work 2021 Survey & the
2023 Lifeworks/Telus Health Mental Health Index
● Black and Latine/x communities were 50%
more likely to voluntarily leave a job, and had
higher rates of mental health symptoms
(compared to 32% for white cis-gendered
people.) (U.S)
● LGBTQ+ employees had higher rates of mental
health symptoms and for longer durations.
● One in five Canadians have been treated
differently by a healthcare provider because of
their gender, race, ethnicity, or weight,
impacting their willingness to seek care.
Effects of mental health stressors have been multiplied by “recent” racial tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic - The Washington Post
UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS & MENTAL HEALTH

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PSYCHOLOGICAL
SAFETY
Psychological Safety is a shared
belief held by members of a team
that others on the team will not
embarrass, reject, or punish you
for speaking up.

8. Equity
Create equitable opportunities
for everyone to participate,
learn and grow
Diversity
Understand that different
identities come with different
privileges and challenges.
Inclusion
Foster an environment were race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation,
background, family status, etc are accepted and celebrated
Psychological
Safety

9. Assessing Psychological Safety
Do team members
feel comfortable
admitting their lack
of knowledge? Do team members
feel comfortable
bringing up
problems/issues?
Do team members
readily admit to
errors, mistakes or
omissions?
Do team members
ask for help when
they need it?
Do team members
feel comfortable
disagreeing with
others?

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BENEFITS
OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL
SAFETY
● REDUCES STRESS & BURNOUT
● PROMOTES EQUITABLE WORKPLACES
● INCREASES RISK-TAKING &
INNOVATION
● ENCOURAGES CANDID FEEDBACK
● INCREASES RETENTION
● BUILDS CONFIDENCE FOR
SPEAKING-UP

11. 2020
STORYTIME
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION

12. 1 in 5
Canadians manage a
mental illness on a given
year
MENTAL HEALTH IN CANADA: FACTS & FIGURES
40
By this age, 1 in 2 Canadians
have or have had a mental
illness
30%
Canadian women are 30%
more likely to use health
services for mental illness
than men
33%
of Canadians are burnt
out (students/young
people very impacted)
3/10
Canadians have been
diagnosed with anxiety or
depression since the onset
of Covid-19
$50 Billion
Annual economic cost of
mental illness in Canada
per year.
(health care costs, lost productivity, and
reductions in health-related quality of life)
Sources: CMHA, CAMH, Mental Health Research Canada

13. WHAT
CAN
WE
DO?

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PROMOTING
WELLBEING
AT WORK
● Provide mental health training to employees
● Train managers to recognize signs of
distress
● Humanize stigmatized condition by sharing
stories
● Use non-stigmatizing language
● Include Neurodiversity as part of DEI
strategy
● Promote a psychologically safe culture
● If you suspect something is wrong, ask the
person how they are doing

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PROMOTING
WELLBEING
AT WORK
● Make mental health assessments available
to all employees
● Offer employees opportunities to participate
in decisions about issues that affect job
stress
● Host seminars that address depression
and/or stress management
● Provide managers with training to help
identify signs and symptoms

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CHECK-INS/OUT
1. FEELING? (One word)
2. INTERFERENCES?
(blockers/distractions)
3. KEY TAKEAWAY/WEEKEND PLANS
(QUESTION OF CHOICE)

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BE KIND TO
YOURSELF
• HYDRATE
• STAY CONNECTED
• BOOST YOUR IMMUNE
SYSTEM
• GET FRESH AIR
• LIMIT MEDIA CONSUMPTION
• SET BOUNDARIES
• DISTRACT AND REDIRECT

18. Q&A
or just chats
How are feeling now?