It's Mental Health Awareness Week and we take this opportunity to raise awareness about mental health and talk about our wellbeing. This week is all about starting conversations about mental health and reflecting on the things that can affect our mental health in our daily lives.
We know this has been a challenging year for our staff with the move to remote teaching and learning, and adapting to our ‘work from home’ arrangements.
Wellbeing and mental health support has been particularly important during this time and it’s essential that we continue to support each other and our mental health through these times.
Our network of Wellbeing Champions
As part of the Mentally Healthy Universities project that has been running in the university, we are committed to providing support, signposting information and providing a listening ear to staff.
Through our local Bromley, Lewisham & Greenwich branch of mental health charity Mind, over 60 members of staff have been trained to become either Staff Mental Health Champions or Peer Supporters in the wider Wellbeing Champions Network. This Network is dedicated to changing the way the university community talks about wellbeing and aims to combat the stigma associated with mental health.
I am privileged to be part of Mind's project and to be an academic Staff Wellbeing Champion. Before joining the Wellbeing Network, I had some experiences in assisting fellow members of staff. With the training that I have completed, it has strengthened my position and given me more confidence when trying to assist my colleagues.
I am proud to be part of the Wellbeing Champions Network because it is extremely supportive, and I do my best to help other colleagues. I don't think it is a stigma to ask for help. We are humans after all. We also need some help. So please reach out.Jerome Chan, Senior Lecturer in Law, Staff Mental Health Champion
For more information on the Wellbeing Network, what our Champions and Peer Supporters do, and to find your local members, see here.
We know that opening up and discussing mental health is hugely important, particularly given that 1 in 3 people will experience mental health problems on any given year. And it’s even more important than ever given the year we’ve all had! We are currently working hard to expand our Champion and Peer Supporters to all members of staff, so keep an eye out for upcoming Champion events, and the further establishment of Peer Support groups across all 3 campuses.
I have always been concerned about speaking to colleagues about any issues I have experienced with mental health. In the past when speaking to others, their attitude often was “you will be ok”, or being unsure of what to say and wanting to end the conversation quickly. However, to be able to share feelings with colleagues which normally I would be embarrassed admitting to, is so important.
Consequently, I have found that by being open, colleagues from all areas want to discuss mental health issues with me that they were going through or had experienced, which I am sure they would not normally disclose.Pamela Brown, School Administrator for FLAS, Staff Mental Health Champion and Peer Supporter
You can hear more from some of our Staff Mental Health Champions - Dr Melanie Thorley and Nevin Bayoumi-Stefanovic here.
Support and resources for staff
In addition to our network of Staff Mental Health Champions, staff can also access a wide range of resources and support available through the staff portal:
- our Employee Assistance Program provides Wellbeing Support for Staff, including counselling services
- the Wellbeing Hub and University Mental Health Day webpages have a list of wellbeing articles and resources
- the building personal resilience toolkit provides advice on undertaking remote working while supporting your wellbeing
- mental health charity Mind have put together these Tips for everyday living to help you manage everyday things like work, university, looking after yourself online and more.
If you need support in any way please speak to your manager, connect with your colleagues and look out for the activities your local Mental Health and Wellbeing Champions arrange or signpost. Please remember the university is here to help and support you.
Staff share their experiences of mental health
This video from our staff shares more information about the support services available to all University of Greenwich staff, both internally and externally. Towards the end of the video, Lynne Martin from Chaplaincy and some of our Wellbeing Champions and Peer Supporters talk about their own experiences of poor mental health.
Trigger warning: The theme of this video focuses on staff mental health and wellbeing. The last eight minutes specifically discuss staff members' personal experiences and suicide is briefly mentioned. Please note, some viewers may find these discussions emotionally distressing.
