MARCH 4, 2021 – Because mental distress has become more common for Americans after a year of coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, GoTriangle wants to help area employers and workers find healthy ways to support one another and heal.
Please join us online at 2 p.m. March 18 for our webinar Mission Impossible: Mental Health. Register at gotriangle.org/mi.
Annie Schmidt, executive director of the Wake National Alliance on Mental Illness, will talk about the psychological distress the pandemic has caused and the effect that has had on our bodies and our work. She will offer tips on how to support coworkers and promote a mentally healthy work environment as many of us continue to work from home while others provide essential services on the pandemic’s frontline
Since the beginning of the pandemic, substance use, suicide attempts and hospitalizations have increased as we have had to live in an environment where we are not well connected to support systems. More than 42% of people surveyed by the US Census Bureau in December reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, an increase from 11% the previous year.
Employers, Schmidt says, have to meet workers where they are. The webinar will offer participants an understanding of basic warning signs and tips for how to support workers as we continue to take precautions even as vaccines are being distributed.
Schmidt, who has been at Wake NAMI since May 2018, has worked toward making the organization more sustainable, equitable and inclusive. She received a master’s degree in Family, Youth and Community Sciences from the University of Florida and a bachelor’s in International Studies and Peace, Justice and Conflict Resolution from DePaul University in Chicago. Her background includes collaborating with community organizations to provide wrap-around services in Title 1 schools and program planning and evaluation for child welfare programs at the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde in Oregon.
The mental health webinar is the fourth in GoTriangle’s MISSION IMPOSSIBLE series, which offers 60-minute discussions with experts on important and timely topics. Previous webinars on cybersecurity, ergonomics and returning to the office after COVID-19 also were designed to help the Triangle’s working community navigate the pandemic. Find more information and videos of the webinars at gotriangle.org/mi.
About GoTriangle Employer Services
GoTriangle’s Employer Services Transportation Demand Management Department – which created the series – helps employers and universities recruit and retain employees and students by providing alternatives to driving alone. TDM extends GoTriangle’s reach by developing telework programs, forming vanpools and carpools and creating bicycle and pedestrian campaigns.
These services and programs have significant impacts on commuting patterns, traffic congestion, personal health and finances and air quality in the Triangle. The grant-funded services, programs and materials are provided through a partnership of NC Department of Transportation, municipalities and public transportation agencies. Find out more here.