Virtual Event

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Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace: Mental health as a key topic in your D&I strategy

Name: Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace: Mental health as a key topic in your D&I strategy
Start: 2022-05-25T13:00:00+02:00
End: 2022-05-25T15:00:00+02:00

May 25, 2022 @ 13:00 - 15:00 CEST

Virtual Event

Free

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace is imperative for a sustainable, competitive and innovative company and society at large. Diversity also goes beyond the outward perception of a company – it includes how the internal structures work and signal the value systems of an organization’s management or leadership team.

This series is designed by Diversify to centre Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace. We look forward to seeing you!

Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace: Mental health as a key topic in your D&I strategy

May is Mental Health Awareness Month so it is only apt to explore the topic of mental health in our monthly Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace panel discussion.

Mental health, especially in the workplace, is often overlooked and stigmatized. Most people will experience a mental illness or mental health issues in their working lives. In the wake of the pandemic, the sudden transition into remote and subsequent readily changing work situations have drastically affected mental wellbeing of people across organisations. It is important for employers to recognize this and understand that the mental health of their employees and of themselves is as important as their physical well being. Work stress and pressure can often aggravate and cause depression, anxiety and other mental health issues in employees. Further, people of colour, racial or ethnic minorities, women and the LGBTQIA+ community can face lack of representation, microaggressions, unconscious bias, and other stressors that negatively impact their mental health. With a majority of our lives spent at work, it is important for workplaces to focus on mental health as a part of their DEI strategy.

In this session of Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace, we will discuss how to destigmatize mental health in the workplace and promote open communication.

What systems and resources must be put in place to support employees with their mental health?
How to raise awareness of mental wellness and break stereotypes regarding mental illness?
How to prevent employees from feeling overwhelmed at work due to the pressures and stress that they may be facing?

Panelists

Meryn Willetts (she/her)

If there’s anyone you want in your corner when getting a bold, ambitious project off the ground, it’s Meryn. She’s passionate about people and works tirelessly with companies and teams to unlock their greatest potential.

Meryn has facilitated hundreds of digital and physical workshops with clients such as; Statkraft, Greenpeace, Doctors Without Borders, Munch, Atea, Helsedirektoratet, Charge Incubator, Startup Migrants and HerSpace Community. Her topics include; organisational innovation, strategy, leadership, entrepreneurship and team development.
Meryn has been advising and mentoring entrepreneurs, leaders and teams for over a decade, challenging her clients to take risks, push boundaries and leverage their passions and strengths to build highly engaged, innovative and thriving organisations.

In her workshops, Meryn takes an interactive approach, ensuring that every voice in the room is heard and feels engaged in the content. She believes in collaboration and utilising the collective intelligence in the room to make knowledge sticky and practically applicable.

Over her 15-year career span, Meryn has channelled her drive and passion for ‘doing business better’ through advising politicians, senior corporate leaders and up-and-coming startup founders to develop the mindset, strategies and tools to turn their vision into a reality and put a real dent in the world. She takes an unconventional approach to getting things done and relentlessly seeks out cutting edge knowledge to integrate into her work.

Meryn is passionate about ecosystem building; combining technology and authentic leadership to create consequential and inspiring change necessary for sociopolitical, environmental and economic progress.

Meryn speaks at various events and conferences and serves on multiple boards including; Oslo Blockchain Cluster, Vaffelgutta and Revenue Development Fund.

She embodies a rare mix of productivity, passion and creativity. She is open, curious and has a contagious personality. You cannot help but be inspired by her enthusiasm, grit and strength of character.

Selena Støback (she/her)

Selena is a long serving psychosocial/mental health innovation advocate, capacity building and inclusion specialist, women and youth rights activist; with a background in driving policy and systems change through radical multi stakeholder collaboration, organisation building, participation and program management.

Selena is former Head of Innovation and Associate Trainer for Rethink Mental Illness UK, having spent two decades campaigning, lobbying and working directly with youth and adults in the transformation of mental health services and support. She has delivered hundreds of training’s across private, public and civil society on mental health awareness, resilience, wellbeing and workplace mental health. Selena has a specialist interest in the co-production of services and support that are designed with and by both decision makers and the community, having worked with the UK government to affect long term national policy. Selena has also worked with Compassionate Mental Health UK, Plan International, Asia Pacific Forum on Women Law and Development, Time To Change Anti Stigma Campaign UK, The Hearing Voices Network, New Life Communities international, Alliance for Inclusive Education, Helping Empower Youth Activism and Look Ahead Care, Support and Housing.

Selena currently leads Ethiopian partnerships for Youth Mental Health Norway as part of the Together for Inclusion consortium, working to strengthen government and civil society collaboration on disability inclusion, economic empowerment, inclusive education and human rights advocacy, centering mental health and psychosocial support in the East Africa region.

Selena is a trained peer counsellor, Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor, long term Samaritans UK volunteer and ‘Listener for Change’, valuing deep listening, compassion and dialogue as the best way to solve problems.

Chisom Udeze (she/her)

Chisom is an Economist, Organizational Design and DEI Strategist, and a 3 times founder with over 12 years of experience working with organizations like the European Commission, The United Nations and ExxonMobil. Chisom has an analytical mind and works to interrogate the cross-sectoral relationship between society’s resources, production, distribution and output. She is adept at efficiently and effectively unlocking complex systems, data management, forecasting economic and social trends, and thrives in uncertain environments.

As the founder of Diversify, Chisom works with companies, governments and civil society to facilitate measurable diversity and inclusion initiatives in the workplace and society. In 2020, mid-pandemic, she founded HerSpace, a diverse and inclusive co-creation community for all genders, with particular focus on women-led companies and mothers. She is a thought-leader in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) and a passionate advocate for mental health and wellness.

Details

Date:: May 25, 2022
Time:: 13:00 - 15:00 CEST
Cost:: Free
Event Categories:: Mental Health and Wellness, Professional Development
Event Tags:: Diversity, Mental Health, Mental Wellness, Professional Development

Organizer

: HerSpace
Email
: View Organizer Website

Venue