Empowering Educators: Building a School Climate of Compassion
Empowering Educators: Building a School Climate of Compassion
From Stigma to Support
Format
Designed for all K-12 school personnel, this workshop seeks to challenge and empower each member of a school’s community to be intentional about their approach to ending mental health stigma and facilitating authentic connections as an antidote to isolation, stress, and burnout.
A 2023 survey sponsored by the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers found that teachers reported better well-being in January 2023 than in prior years, and rates of job-related stress have returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, the research indicates that educators continue to report their well-being at levels worse than the general population of working adults. The disconnect between workplace demands, educators’ values, and effective coping skills can feed the stigma-filled narratives that school personnel must put their needs and well-being aside. The result is poor and declining emotional health which directly and negatively impacts a school’s culture, staffing, and performance.
This program uses an interactive approach to empower attendees. Building upon our deep relationships with school personnel and valuing their unique challenges, participants are invited to:
- Learn about an honest framework to recognize how stigma affects workplace culture, and strategies to effectively eliminate it
- Review the continuum of stress and mental health challenges and how to effectively support someone who is struggling
- Offer tools for team members to create supportive connections and further cultivate an environment of compassion and curiosity
- Using a systemic perspective, explore how to shift from stigma-filled narratives to an environment that provides emotional safety and promotes well-being
This workshop is most effective when offered in conjunction with Empowering Educators: Sustainable Self-Care. Together these sessions empower school personnel to further cultivate an environment of trust, emotional safety, resilience, and belonging that supports the well-being of all individuals.
This program is best suited to be delivered in-person. While flexible, this program is intended to be 60-90 minutes though this can be customized as needed. Groups of any size are welcome to participate.
Benefits
Mental health is a continuum and employees who are struggling cannot leave those challenges at the door without subsequent impact on their performance. In an average week in the U.S five million people miss work due to stress and an estimated four million work days are lost due to depression. Stigmatizing attitudes about mental health and their role in the workplace often lead to poor performance, absence, difficulty with retention, and staff feeling disconnected from their work and colleagues. This can be interrupted and shifted through an intentional focus on mental health and well-being.
By prioritizing mental wellness, employers often see improvements in: productivity, attendance, employee health, reduced health care costs, ability to attract and retain talent, morale, relationships among co-workers, and reduced stress levels. As leaders in ending stigma and creating compassionate environments, Minding Your Mind supports your school district with this foundational mental health offering.