OSUSPP has been helping our campus to create a culture of care since 2006. Since then, nearly 22,000 students, staff, and faculty have been trained in REACH as suicide prevention gatekeepers who have learned how to reach out to their fellow Buckeyes who may be at risk for suicide. In 2019 the OSU Employee Assistance Program met with OSUSPP to learn more about the outreach and education initiatives offered to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, and discussed collaborating to implement suicide prevention for faculty and staff as well. Given the number of helpful and supportive mental health services and resources already available through the EAP program, this partnership was envisioned to advance assessing and addressing mental health and suicide concerns for employees on the academic and medical campuses. In 2021, this partnership formally developed into OSU WorksWell, a program that offers a voluntary and confidential mental health screening to employee groups and that emphasizes the importance of employee wellness and access to helpful resources and supportive services.
Workplace Mental Health is an Important Topic
- At least 1,757,900 Ohio adults have lived with mental illness
- Adults aged 45-64 had the highest rate of suicide in Ohio
- The average age of an OSU employee is 42
New Data Shows That The Number of People Struggling Continues to Increase
20% of adults in the U.S. have lived with a mental illness
Only 1 in 3 receive treatment in a given year
Stress Can Contribute to Suicidal Thoughts
- You don’t have to have a pre-existing condition or a mental health diagnosis to struggle with suicidal thoughts.
- Suicidal thoughts can come from “hitting the wall.”
- Nearly everyone has had a thought like this at some point, but not everyone acts on it
About the OSU WorksWell Partnership
Michelle Norris, MA, MEd, LPC, Graduate Teaching Assistant – Workswell
OSUSPP (https://suicideprevention.osu.edu/)
OSU Employee Assistance Program
OSU EAP (https://hr.osu.edu/benefits/eap/)
How Can I Partner with OSU WorksWell?
We hope that you will consider partnering with OSU WorksWell to create a culture of caring about your employees’ mental health and well-being! Any employee group can choose to engage in the OSU WorksWell Roadmap to Success process with their department, office, or program.
How the OSU WorksWell Roadmap to Success works:
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m interested in having this for my department! How do we get involved?
A leader with your employee group should first send an email to osuworkswell@osu.edu to get the process started. An OSU WorksWell counselor will then be assigned to your “roll out” and will walk you and your group through the process from start to finish
What does the OSU WorksWell Roadmap to Success Process look like?
See “How Can I Partner with OSU WorksWell?” above.
I’m interested in taking the stress and depression questionnaire just for myself– can I just take it on my own?
No, this questionnaire is only shared out on a departmental level and must be in partnership with the OSU WorksWell program.
If I take the survey, will anyone in my employee group or my supervisor know?
No! Participation is voluntary and anonymous at every level. Your answers and dialogue with the counselor are 100% confidential. The OSU WorksWell counselor will only know your name if you choose to identify that information.
Helpful Resources for Employees
- EAP (https://hr.osu.edu/benefits/eap/)
- HR Employee Resource Center
- OSUSPP (https://suicideprevention.osu.edu/)
- OSPF (https://www.ohiospf.org/)
- AFSP (https://afsp.org/)
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/)
- Local & National Resources: (https://suicideprevention.osu.edu/resources/)
- REACH Trainings (https://suicideprevention.osu.edu/reach/#groupcontactform)
- REACH Out Trainings (https://suicideprevention.osu.edu/reach-out/)
- OSU Couple and Family Therapy Clinic
- OSU Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) Lab
- Office of Institutional Equity
- Kirwin Institute
- Office of Diversity and Inclusion
- Military and Veteran Services
- Department of Public Safety
How did you hear about WorksWell?
content coming soon.