Depression is a serious condition that affects all aspects of a person’s life. This includes the ability to be productive and successful at work.
Right Direction is a first-of-its-kind initiative that gives employers the tools they need to address depression in the workplace. What makes this initiative unique from other depression awareness campaigns is that it was developed for and by employers, especially for workplace application. The Right Direction program provides turnkey, customizable resources and materials to increase awareness, reduce stigma, and motivate employees and their families to seek help when needed.
The Right Direction website provides:
- information on depression
- how depression can affect someone at work
- a depression screening tool
- and resources for reaching out for help.
A Materials Library gives employers all the resources needed to implement the initiative, starting with a step-by-step Field Guide on how to successfully plan and execute it at their company. There are Powerpoint decks and educational content available to help get leaders and managers on board, as well as as corresponding promotional resources, such as posters, intranet copy, and other template materials.
Right Direction is a joint initiative of the Center for Workplace Mental Health and Employers Health Coalition, Inc., which coalesced employer and mental health expertise to meet the needs of employers and leverages their existing (but often underutilized) mental health programs. Right Direction is available for free through generous support from Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. (TPUSA) and Lundbeck U.S., two companies which understood the value of working with employers.
Hundreds of companies across the US have adopted the FREE Right Direction initiative while engaging and strengthening key vendor relationships (employee assistance programs, medical and mental health/substance abuse plans, and pharmacy benefit managers, among others), realizing both strong quantitative and qualitative outcomes. The Kent State University case study (.pdf) and OCLC case study (.pdf) illustrate how Right Direction can help employers to address this sensitive, yet important issue, and prove that facilitating support for workplace depression is a highly positive step for companies. With treatment, employees struggling with depression will see improvements in productivity and overall performance—realizing their full potential at work and at home.
Webinars
Turnkey Resources to Increase Awareness of Depression at the Workplace
From Feb. 13, 2014, this free webinar explains how one employer, OCLC, is successfully implementing Right Direction at their workplace.
Speakers include: Clare Miller, Director, Center for Workplace Mental Health; Marcas Miles, MA, Senior Director, Marketing & Communications, Employers Health; Susan Marsico, Director, Corporate Benefits & HR Systems, Online Computer Library Center
Partnership
Right Direction is an effort from the Center for Workplace Mental Health, a program of the American Psychiatric Foundation and Employers Health Coalition, Inc., and is supported by Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. (TPUSA) and Lundbeck U.S.