The Superior Mental Wellness @ Work project aims to create workplace environments that reduce psychological hazards and maintain positive mental health for employees in Thunder Bay and the District.
For information and resources related to workplace mental health during COVID-19, please visit tbdhu.com/workplaces and click on the Workplace Mental Health tab.
Click on the buttons below for workplace mental health resources:
For additional budget-friendly mental health support services available, visit our Mental Health Support page.
News and Events
September is Suicide Prevention Month. Workplaces play a critical role in preventing suicide. Employers can create hope through action by having meaningful dialogue about suicide and providing support and resources. Coworkers can also make a life-saving difference when they know how to respond to subtle changes in behaviour. Click on the tab below for helpful Suicide Prevention in the Workplace resources.
World Suicide Prevention Day is September 10th each year. It’s an opportunity to raise awareness about suicide prevention and how to support those who may be struggling, honour survivors and remember those who have died.
Don't Duck the Conversation - Workplace Toolkit on Grief and Bereavement – offered by Hospice Northwest, this workplace toolkit helps organizations and businesses navigate grief and bereavement in the workplace. This toolkit can help by ensuring policies and procedures are in place before they are needed, empowering management to better react to loss, and increasing grief literacy in employees and management. It is designed to support in two main scenarios: If an employee dies or if an employee is grieving a loss. It includes information and resources, training materials, checklists, and email templates.
Living Works provides a variety of quality training programs that empower individuals, organizations, and communities to work together to keep people safe from suicide. Visit Living Works Trainings for more information.
Living Works Start is a 90-minute online suicide prevention training. It teaches participants to recognize when someone is having thoughts of suicide and connect them to help and support.
Living Works safeTALK is a 4 hour in-person suicide alertness and skills training workshop. It provides in-depth skills to recognize signs of suicide, engage someone, and ensure a connection to safety. Email workplacewellness@tbdhu.com to inquire about arranging a safeTALK workshop at your organization, led by a certified safeTALK instructor from TBDHU.
Living Works ASIST is a 2 day in-person suicide intervention workshop. It teaches participants how to prevent suicide by recognizing signs, providing a skilled intervention, and developing a safety plan to keep someone alive.
Calling all workers and workplaces in Northwestern Ontario!
EPID@Work (Enhancing the Prevention of Injury and Disability at Work) Research Institute is launching the largest cohort study ever conducted in Northwestern Ontario. It will examine workplace factors for mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
What is a cohort study?
A cohort study is an observational, long-term study that follows a group of people over time. Anyone who completes the study will be contacted again in six months for a follow-up survey, and every six months after that as long as the study continues. The longer the study runs, the better researchers can collect and examine the data – potentially leading to groundbreaking conclusions and interventions for mental health in our workplaces.
Who can participate?
All workers and all employers in Northwestern Ontario are encouraged to participate. All surveys will remain completely confidential.
Getting involved in the study is easy! Visit workinghealth.ca to learn more, sign up your workplace or volunteer as an individual.
Ultimately, the NOWWHS cohort study could have a big impact on the mental health and wellness of workplaces and workers in our region. With a large sample size and a long-term goal, EPID@Work is hopeful that this study will become a powerful tool for change.
From November 2022 to March 2023, Superior Mental Wellness @ Work and EPID@Work Research Institute surveyed workplace leaders in Thunder Bay and district to get a picture of their perceptions and needs when it comes to mental health in the workplace. The results revealed that:
Workplace mental health is more important to employers now than before the pandemic.
Employers are reporting high levels of mental health concerns, stigma, and challenges in the workplace.
Employers are interested in learning more about addressing chronic high stress and burnout, mental health promotion and prevention strategies and accommodation of staff with mental illness.
The project is a collaborative effort of the Superior Mental Wellness @ Work Advisory Group, made up of community partners who together aim to improve mental wellness for workers in Thunder Bay and the District. Membership is open to those that have a role in promoting workplace mental wellness. Current members include:
Canadian Mental Health Association
City of Thunder Bay
Creighton Youth Services
EPID@Work Research Institute
Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA)
Kelly Mental Health
Lakehead University
Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (Thunder Bay)
St. Joseph’s Care Group
Superior Greenstone District School Board
Synergy North
TBayTel
TBT Engineering
Thunder Bay Counselling Centre
Thunder Bay District Health Unit
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
Unifor Union 229
Workplace Safety North
For Further Information
Call the Healthy Living Program at (807) 625-5900, or toll-free at 1-888-294-6630 or email workplacewellness@tbdhu.com.
