Nonprofit CEOs call for an increased commitment to employee mental health

Washington — “CEOs are well-positioned to confront America’s mental health crisis and influence a positive culture shift,” the leaders of five nonprofit organizations say in a statement that calls on business leaders to take action.

The top executives of the American Public Health Association, the American Psychological Association, YMCA of the USA, the National League of Cities and the International City/County Management Association have formed the group CEOs Advancing Health Equity.

“The workplace – where many spend most of their waking hours each week – is a critical setting for understanding and supporting mental health,” the group says in an APA press release. “The steps leaders take to support employees at work can empower them to thrive in other areas of their lives, ensuring their workforce and organization’s long-term health and success.”

The CEOs call on employers to:

• Train managers to support employee mental health.
• Increase employees’ options for where, when and how they work.
• Reexamine organizational health insurance policies with a focus on mental health.
• Listen to what employees need and use their feedback to improve and evolve workplace culture.
• Take a critical look at organizational policies through a lens of equity, diversity and inclusion.

More information is available on APA’s Striving for Mental Health Excellence in the Workplace website.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, an initiative aimed at combating stigma, providing guidance, educating the public, and advocating policies that support people with mental illness and their families.