Given that most of the world’s population spends one-third of their adult lives at work, employers have a tremendous opportunity to improve quality of life for all people and play a critical role in driving mental health solutions. Moreover, leaving mental health needs unaddressed has costly results like higher absenteeism, increased liability, and lost productivity. We believe that a committed group of CEOs can transform the way we view and approach mental health, brain fitness, and wellbeing in the workplace.
Launched in 2017, One Mind At Work convenes leaders to transform approaches to brain health with the goal of addressing mental health disparities and working towards a society and health care system that acknowledge that there is no health without mental health. With financial support from founding sponsor Janssen Research & Development, LLC, one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, One Mind At Work now has a robust network of global employers in diverse sectors including business, medicine, research, education, law enforcement, military, and civil society.
One Mind, launched in 1995, is one of the world’s leading mental health non-profits and advocacy organizations for people impacted by brain illness and injury. One Mind focuses on accelerating scientific breakthroughs in brain health, bringing those discoveries to patients in the form of treatments, and transforming societal culture to end stigma and discrimination. The scientific insights, research, and advocacy that are propelled by One Mind informs the One Mind at Work priorities and strategies, while insights from employers shed light on the unmet needs that brain researchers are seeking to fill. Both One Mind and One Mind at Work leverage relationships with other advocacy and research organizations.
Yes. Our members have global footprints, we have partnerships across countries and most continents, and are the preferred partner of the World Economic Forum through which we are working to catalyze a global response to improve mental health in the workplace. Our global purview gives us insight into international workplace trends, an important advantage to our multinational members.
Our approach is to provide support and guidance to help improve our members’ workplace mental health solutions using the One Mind at Work Charter as a framework for a comprehensive organizational approach to workplace mental health. We tailor our approach to what suits you best. We can focus internally on advising teams or connecting to experts to help expand or improve workplace mental health support and services. We work externally to create platforms for companies to share activities and build their reputation of the organization as one that is invested in the mental health of its employees and a leader in mental health. We do not duplicate your EAPs but rather help create an environment and culture that celebrates neurodiversity and eliminates stigma and discrimination.
Regular check-in: We are available to you at a frequency that makes sense (typically quarterly) to discuss plans for growing or changing mental health support. We often review programs implemented, talk through approaches, address questions, and identify helpful connections to experts. This regular engagement usually includes our primary point of contact at the member organization, as well as colleagues that can help form connection points and buy-in.
Private Slack workspace: Easily access the most relevant news reports and resources as they emerge through our private, members-only Slack workspace. Our access to experts and our broad and deep partnerships in the mental health space allows us to provide members with a fast exchange of information which, in a constantly shifting landscape, is essential to help leaders evaluate and communicate priorities as they relate to employee wellbeing. The Slack workspace also creates a unique, seamless channel for member-to-member communication, allowing our members to talk to each other about best practices and lessons learned.
Live or recorded “fireside chats”: Many of our member organizations have invited One Mind at Work to speak onsite or virtually about workplace mental health. Audiences include executive leadership teams, mental health ambassador/ally programs, mental health employee resource groups (ERGs), or general informational events during Mental Health Awareness Month. There is strong evidence to support the impact of leaders who publicly commit to supporting workforce mental health, and setting an example of an open dialogue about mental health – a very important element of any workplace mental health strategy.
Member Portal: Resources, reports, memos, and template communications are available at your fingertips through our member portal to assist you in working with both external and internal audiences.
The One Mind at Work network is extensive, diverse, and high-caliber and provides several external opportunities for members:
High-profile network: We have brought members into opportunities including the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Lake Nona Impact Forum, conferences with the Business Group on Health and Mental Health America, and a slew of other influential, often exclusive events. Speaking at high-caliber events such as these is a valuable demonstration of thought leadership on the topic of workplace mental health.
Annual Global Forum: Every September we host our flagship event, the One Mind at Work Global Forum. The event attracts the brightest minds in workplace mental health – our speakers have represented the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Veterans Affairs; World Economic Forum; National Academies of Science; and executives from Fortune 100 corporations, just to name a few.
Media exposure: While not exclusive to members, on a bi-weekly basis we are posting to Forbes on select topics related to workplace mental health. Additionally, Brandon Staglin, One Mind’s president, explores a variety of topics, including workplace mental health, in his Brain Waves Facebook Live broadcast. We also work alongside PR and social media experts that are equipped with the tools and skills to elevate our members’ victories in workplace mental health if such promotion is appropriate for the organization.
Research opportunities: We execute a robust research agenda throughout the year. Past offerings include our CHRO Insights Series, Depression Calculator, and publications on topics like supporting neurodiversity in the workforce. We seek to develop research that closely aligns with the topics that are most important to our members and welcome opportunities to collaborate and cobrand reports with our partners, members, and the broader mental health community.
The first step to join is to have a leader from your organization sign our Charter, which is the “gold standard” of workplace mental health. There is not a “one size fits all” solution, and our membership spans many sectors, sizes, geographies, and employee demographics, but the Charter is a framework for understanding a comprehensive approach to mental health in the workplace.
To achieve lasting and important change in any organization, senior leadership must be involved and committed to the success of the effort. CEOs from some of the largest companies in the world have signed the Charter. Often, another executive, such as the CHRO or the benefits leader in the organization, can be the person to champion workplace mental health alongside the CEO.
