TALLAHASSEE, Fla. February 11, 2021 — In its quest to make Florida the safest, healthiest and most sustainable state in America, the Florida Chamber Safety Council today launched a comprehensive mental wellness initiative including a series of videos in partnership with Safety Council Advisory Board Member AdventHealth and a statewide webinar with national mental health expert Dr. Aaron Weiner in response to the profound impact COVID-19 has had on both mental health and addictive behaviors.
Florida’s leading employers care deeply about the safety and health of their employees and, according to a survey conducted by the CDC, 40.9% of respondents reported at least one adverse mental or behavioral health condition, including symptoms of anxiety disorder (30.9%), symptoms of a trauma- and stressor-related disorder (TSRD) related to the pandemic (26.3%), and having started or increased substance abuse to cope with stress or emotions related to COVID-19 (13.3%).
“The Florida business community’s response to the mental health crisis and the actions we take to provide resources to Floridians is more important than ever,” said Mark Morgan, chair of the Florida Chamber Safety Council’s Leadership Advisory Board and senior human resources manager for Corporate Safety & Workers’ Compensation at NextEra Energy, Inc. “The only way to reduce and remove the negative stigma around mental health is to talk about it, and that is exactly what the Florida Chamber Safety Council is doing by creating resources and hosting educational webinars. The Safety Council is aiming to make Florida the safest, healthiest, and most sustainable state in the nation, and to do this, we need to foster mental wellness.”
With mental health and well-being essential to maintaining a safe and productive workplace, the Florida Chamber Safety Council and AdventHealth are teaming up to offer businesses tools and resources to support their employees in meeting these challenges head on. The initiative features two videos intended to provide education in an easy and practical way, for how employees can manage the stress caused by coming back to work and how managers can evaluate, talk and coach their staff to manage ‘the new normal’ at work and at home.
Additionally, the Florida Chamber Safety Council is hosting a live statewide webinar February 18th from 9am-11am with nationally recognized mental health expert Dr. Aaron Wiener to discuss mental wellness in the workplace. Dr. Weiner will cover an array of topics for employers and managers to recognize mental health problems in themselves and the workplace along with the right tools to approach and address the issue. He will also discuss modern tools for cognitive health, and the basics of mindfulness and meditation through evidence-based methods for better coping with stress, pain, and insomnia. The live webinar will also feature a Q&A with Dr. Weiner.
The Florida Chamber Safety Council, an incubator for research, leadership and education is a first of its kind organization serving as a statewide resource to foster safety, health and sustainability among Florida businesses. Serving as the official Florida chapter of the National Safety Council, the Florida Chamber Safety Council aims to unite the business community around making Florida the safety, healthiest and most sustainable state in America.
For more information on the Florida Chamber Safety Council and to register for the webinar, visit https://www.flchambersafety.com/work-care/.