Mental Health Awareness: Transforming Workplace Support and Engagement

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, Jim Kinville, MA, licensed clinician and senior director of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), spotlights the important role mental well-being plays in the workplace.

In this Managed Care Cast episode, he addresses how employers can approach mental health holistically, considering multiple dimensions: emotional, physical, social, spiritual, environmental, financial, and overall well-being. A culture of openness, transparency, and communication in the workplace, especially among C-suite leaders, is key. Kinville notes that health care workers, in particular, require proactive support due to the stressful nature of their jobs. He also emphasizes the importance of regular employee feedback and engagement to tailor wellness programs effectively.

Kinville brings more than 35 years of clinical experience and involvement in mental health and employee assistance to his role within the division of Workpartners^® at UPMC, where he’s been for 10 years.

“I've been around the mental health and mental well-being space for quite a few years, and it is exciting in our current day and age that there's been more attention and more positivity brought to us about what mental health is and what mental health isn't,” Kinville says. “And what's exciting is our employers are a big part of that.”

He delves into mental health in the health care space, reflecting on supportive approaches.

“If we're not 100% in our own personal lives and what we're doing for ourselves, we can't be 100% to others that we're helping,” Kinville says. “So, I think it's important that organizations that are in the helping profession have a great policy, have a great program, and are really looking ahead at what other ways we can provide that support to employees. What are the ways that we can pick up the signs and the behaviors of somebody who might be struggling, and we can reach out and offer some assistance, or maybe give them a break?”

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