Addressing Mental Health in the Workplace Post-COVID

EXPERT ADVICE MENTAL HEALTH & RESILIENCY IN THE WORKPLACE

When the terrifying thought of a pandemic became our reality, lives around the world changed and a new normal would quickly replace the lifestyles and workspaces that we all had grown so accustomed to.

Fear of the unknown replaced the complacency of the everyday. Anxiety replaced comfort. And the mental well-being of professionals across the board was forced out of the “unmentionable” and into the light.

The world was not prepared for COVID-19, and many people suffered both physically and emotionally. TLC Virtual Resiliency (TLCVR) started in response to a direct call for help from professionals struggling emotionally during the pandemic and long after.

TLC-VR promotes mental wellness by offering programming that adapts to the needs of educators, healthcare professionals, human services workers, and law professionals. TLC-VR has made it their mission to care for those who care for others.

Developing resilient employees not only benefits them as individuals, but it benefits their families and the communities they serve, as well as your business.

Research shows that resilient people are more motivated, pro-

Robert Goldman, J.D., Psy.D., is chief psychologist and co-CEO of TLC-VR.

ductive, and efficient at their jobs. They are less susceptible to burnout and healthier, meaning decreased absenteeism, health care costs, and presenteeism.

TLC Virtual Resiliency supports employees to not only survive but thrive in the extreme and accelerating stress of today’s workplace environment. TLC’s psychoeducational curriculum offers evidence-based techniques uniquely tailored to meet the changing needs of the company and individual users.

The goal is to make professional support accessible, affordable, and convenient, so anyone who struggles with life’s challenges can get the assistance they need. And TLCVR programs go beyond immediate issues – as curricula are continually being evaluated for effectiveness – looking to the future of both the organization and the individual.

These assessment results drive a custom curriculum and service delivery plan to help your employees on their path to resiliency and ensure your company’s success.

The psychoeducational curriculum incorporates evidence-based techniques including: • Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy • Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

To better understand TLC-VR’s mission, The Resiliency Tree was created. The tree is divided into the Fear, Learning, Growth and Resilience zones.

When stressful life events occur, the initial response is often fear, which leads us to tap into a set of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that create a perpetual negative cycle.

At TLC-VR, the goal is to help your employees climb out of the Fear Zone and begin to learn life skills, positive thinking patterns, and coping strategies to address current and future stressors.

In the Growth Zone, the strategies that are taught at TLC-VR are practiced and form healthy habits. Content is offered to further guide healthy habits, healthy minds, and healthy communications.

Ultimately, these healthy habits become part of a person’s character and create a paradigm shift.

Life stressors are inevi- Mental wellness in the workplace has table, however a person in many benefits to the employer. the Resilience Zone views the danger within a crisis and turns it into an opportunity to grams. grow. As people enter the Resil- TLC-VR was formed as a call to ience Zone, their work-life, home- action to offer support and resilienlife, and sense of self all have an cy education to frontline workers opportunity to blossom. and educators who were impacted

Today, TLC-VR partners with by the pandemic. For many proboth private and public sector orga- fessional sectors, the long-lasting nizations and has seen a profound effects of COVID-19 are still an show of support from all walks of unknown. professional workspaces – locali- But in these ever-changing envities, schools, healthcare facilities, ronments, promoting mental wellelected officials – including a part- ness and resiliency education is of nership with CLE training pro- the utmost importance.

RICHARDS ANNOUNCES FUNDS FOR HOSPITAL

BY NICHOLAS LOUD

Borough President Donovan Richards announced two multimillion dollar allocations for new projects at Elmhurst Hospital. Last month’s announcement also served as a celebration of the borough’s healthcare workers who have spent over a year on the frontline fighting the pandemic.

“A year ago, Elmhurst Hospital was the epicenter of the epicenter of the world’s worst public health crisis in a century,” Richards said before a crowd of doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff. “The staff here at Elmhurst Hospital were working double and triple shifts to fight a virus we knew nothing about. They handled the unprecedented crisis with true grace and kindness.”

“The best thing you can do to support health and hospitals is to hire the best people and support the best people,” added Mitchell Katz, president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals

The funding will be used to build a new Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Elmhurst Hospital. The facility will be the first of its kind in Queens and will serve children in need of immediate medical attention.

Additionally, the investment will support the conversion of two undersized operating rooms into full-service operating rooms.

“We have secured more than $5 million for projects at Elmhurst Hospital that will expand access to critical care for thousands of families,” Richards said.

He also stressed the need for a more centralized medical center for Queens.

“No family in Far Rockaway or Long Island City should have to travel more than 30 minutes by car or 90 minutes by public transportation to get the care that they need,” he said.

“Over the course of the last year we have been clapping for our healthcare heroes,” said Richards, “but one of the commitments I made when I was elected Borough President was that I would not simply clap for you but that we were going to put our money where our mouth is.”

Richards also celebrated the over one-million people who have been vaccinated in Queens, a figure that leads all other counties in New York State.

Other elected officials, including State Senator Jessica Ramos,

Mitchell Katz, president and CEO of NYC Health+Hospitals, addresses the crowd as Borough President Donovan Richards looks on.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18