Author: Jennie Ridler

New Appointment to Board of Governors

The Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences (PCU-WHS) is pleased to announce the appointment to its Board of Governors of Lorraine Evans, Director of Human Resources for Canada Post. Lorraine is an experienced Human Resources Director with a passion for inclusion and acceptance in the workplace. In February 2021, Lorraine was also appointed to the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR); however her relationship with NIDMAR began many years earlier.  Please click on the following link to review the full announcement:
PCU-WHS Newsletter Vol 8 Issue 30 March 2021 New Appointment to Board of Governors

 

Academic Workplace Health Advisory Board

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across Canada and around the world has created unprecedented challenges for individuals, organizations and societies. It has disrupted professional and personal lives of many individuals, often creating economic hardship while in untold cases challenging individuals’ ability to successfully cope. COVID-19 has exacerbated what had already become a rapidly increasing wave of mental health challenges and impairments arising from a myriad number of factors including, but not limited to, dramatic expansion of the ‘gig’ economy, reorganization of workplace structures, and the need to accommodate many personal challenges such as the “sandwich generation” who are trying to adjust.

PCU-WHS, through its various education, research and professional development initiatives has tried to be at the forefront of supporting individuals and workplaces with the development of innovative strategies, policies and practices designed to facilitate more effective accommodations for individuals struggling with mental health impairments, which are often combined with physical health challenges and demanding personal circumstances.

In order to maintain a leading edge, innovation, thought-leadership and best practice agenda, the University has been most fortunate and is grateful for the committed dedication and support of many individuals across Canada and around the world who share its vision of much improved workplace health outcomes, both on the primary prevention level, but also on the return to work side following onset of a disabling mental or physical health impairment.

With this in mind, we are very pleased that the following individuals agreed to join our newly established Academic Workplace Health Advisory Board:

Prof. Dr. Lorne Sulsky, PhD – Chair
Lani deHek, RN, CDMP, Manager, Occupational Health & Safety/Disability Management, BC Nurses Union, Vancouver, BC
Evie DoCouto, MBA, PMP  – Fr. Vice-President, Return-to-Work Division, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, Toronto, ON
Dr. Parminder Ghura, MD, Consulting Occupational Health Physician, Toronto, ON
Dr. Craig Gosse, MD, Chief Occupational Psychiatry, Homewood Health, Halifax, NS
Prof. Dr. Catherine Loughlin, PhD, Associate Dean, Research and Knowledge Mobilization, Sobey School of Business, St. Mary’s University, Halifax, NS
Dr. Donal McAnaney, PhD, Adjunct Faculty, Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
Dr. Georgia Pomaki, PhD, Leader Mental Health Specialists, Wellness, Disability and Life, Manulife Financial, Vancouver, BC

Effective Workplace Responses to Mental Health Certificate Program

This eight-module Certificate Program addresses the mental health aspects of disability management and engages a holistic approach to foundational and current challenges related to evolving societal changes, the realities of a global pandemic and resultant workplace challenges.

Those whose responsibilities include disability management, return to work, human resources and health and safety are on the front lines as mental health conditions represent the greatest proportion of disability management claims. This Mental Health Certificate is centered on providing tactical learning opportunities for professionals to attain a perspective of informed “responding” versus well-intentioned “reacting”.

Module Topics:

1.    Mental Health Issues, Rehabilitation Services and Return to Work – March 15-21, 2021
2.    Mental Health Communication and Return to Work – April 12-18, 2021
3.    Mental Health Conditions and Return to Work – May 10-16, 2021
4.    Stress and Anxiety in the Workplace – June 7-13, 2021
5.    Psychological Injury: Prevention, Job Retention, and Return to Work Strategies – July 5-11, 2021
6.    Substance Recreation Use, Misuse and Addictions: A Disability Management Perspective – September 13-19, 2021
7.    Strategies to Retain Workers Experiencing Mental Health Challenges – October 18-24, 2021
8.    Certificate Capstone – November 15-28, 2021

Program Overview:

Each module runs for one week and the program schedule was designed with busy, working professionals in mind. Those wishing to complete all eight modules to achieve the full certificate can do so in just nine months.

Anyone unable to commit to the full certificate program, but seeking ongoing CEC opportunities are able to sign up for the individual modules that interest them. Each module provides 12 Continuing Education Credit hours.

Certificate Program Learning Outcomes:

  • Understand the evolving impacts of mental health and mental illness on today’s workforce
  • Learn effective responses to the rising workplace mental health challenges
  • Learn practical strategies and build leadership skills related to worker mental health and wellness
  • Evolve critical thinking skills related to mental health barriers
  • Engage in self-directed learning strategies to optimize effectiveness as a workplace professional

Cost: $250 for each individual module

Additional details: https://www.pcu-whs.ca/programs/continuing-professional-education/effective-workplace-responses-to-mental-health-certificate-program/

2020 – The Year in Review

2020 was a challenging year in so many ways, so it is not surprising that many of us have been looking forward to the New Year and the fresh start that it represents. At PCU-WHS, a look back over 2020 reveals some significant milestones and highlights that were achieved despite the challenges of the pandemic, and which create the foundation for many more exciting developments as we enter 2021.
To read more on 2020 – The Year in Review, please click on the following link to review the newsletter:

Agreement Announced between CPHR New Brunswick / CRHA Nouveau-Brunswick and PCU-WHS

Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences (PCU-WHS) is pleased to announce the signing of an Agreement with CPHR New Brunswick / CRHA Nouveau-Brunswick providing their members with the pre-approval for CPD hours of the 25 courses in the online Disability Management Practitioner Program.

The Chartered Professionals in Human Resources New Brunswick was established in 1996 to meet the needs for the growth and recognition of HR professionals in New Brunswick. CPHR New Brunswick / CRHA Nouveau-Brunswick is a bilingual association whose purpose is to promote and encourage members to develop and maintain a professional standard of knowledge and proficiency in their occupational field. The association’s mandate includes attaining recognition as a resource on employment issues, as well as promoting and gaining acceptance of the Human Resources field for the distinct body of knowledge it provides in business.

The CPHR competency framework includes “Health, Wellness and Safe Workplace” with responsibilities in these areas falling to the HR professional in the organization. The 25 courses in the online Disability Management Practitioner Program consist of topic areas that are key to successful health and wellness and return to work of an organization’s employees.

As recent surveys have indicated, the responsibilities for disability management and return to work often fall to the HR professional in an organization who has often had no specific training to assist them in this complex area of practice. By providing this opportunity, CPHR New Brunswick / CRHA Nouveau-Brunswick offers these 25 topic areas, all of which are relevant to the HR professional, at a preferred pricing registration to their members. And the focus has become even more relevant in today’s world under COVID-19 where a large percentage of employees are struggling with work/life balance while working from home and at the same time trying to cope with family members who are also working / schooling from home; or potentially, the fear of return to work in today’s environment. All of these issues land on the desk of the HR professional who is already overwhelmed.

A recent survey of the Federal Public Service, with about 260,000 members across Canada, indicated that in almost two-thirds of the cases of an onset of an individual’s mental/physical health impairment, the employee’s immediate supervisor turned to a Labour Relations or Human Resources advisor/officer as a first point of contact in order to identify accommodation support and options. This approach is very consistent with many other organizations, public or private, across Canada and internationally, where Labour Relations and/or Human Resources functions are established. Having knowledgeable, experienced and collaborative approaches embraced by Human Resources Professionals can often lead to much improved outcomes for the individuals affected by retaining valuable workers for the organization they are employed by and ultimately reducing the often significant inflow into various aspects of our social security/benefit systems from which exiting is often very difficult and challenging, resulting in long term dependence, to the detriment of all stakeholders.

For further details, please see website at:
https://www.pcu-whs.ca/programs/continuing-professional-education/dmpc-program/