As caregivers, we often help others before ourselves. But it’s critical to prioritize our own mental health to cope with stress, achieve work-life balance and prevent compassion fatigue and burnout. Fall reminds us of this priority with Suicide Prevention Month in September, National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month in October and World Mental Health Day October 10. Here’s what we’re doing at our Providence family of organizations to support caregivers’ (employees’) mental wellness this fall and year-round.

Mental health resources for caregivers and their families

To help every caregiver feel mentally healthy, we offer a range of support.

CredibleMind is a digital platform that provides expert-curated and scientifically backed mental health and self-care resources that are specifically chosen to match each user’s unique needs and preferences. Providence caregivers can get information across a wide variety of topics on the platform including stress, anxiety, trauma, addiction & recovery, parenting, PTSD, grief & loss, resilience and much more.

For example, exploring the topic of depression, caregivers can:

• Gain access to a wide variety of videos, articles and podcasts about everything from depression treatment to identifying depression in children and more.
• Get quick links to Providence’s Caregiver Assistance Program (Lyra), which connects them with mental health experts and additional resources.
• Take assessments about depression signs and symptoms and receive actionable strategies.
• Review frequently asked questions, tips, insights, facts, and personal stories on the topic of depression.
• Get app recommendations for managing depression.

Choose Well gives caregivers quick access to highly skilled and licensed therapists, mental health coaches, a digital care plan and much more.

Onsite counselors are available at certain Providence locations and virtual counselors are available to all caregivers in partnership with Optum and Lyra. Counselors can provide one-on-one support and coaching for a variety of issues, including:

• Work-life balance
• Parenting and family concerns
• Depression, anxiety and stress
• Setting goals
• Communication skills
• Referrals for additional assistance

Finally, Work2BeWell is for parent caregivers and their teens and offers a variety of free curriculum, resources, and implementation tools to make an impact as a student mental health advocate, educator, or parent. For example, the Stress & Anxiety lessons teach how stress or anxiety develops, signs, resources and suggestions for what to do in the moment.

Read more about our mental health benefits here>

Ensuring everyone feels a sense of belonging

Feeling heard and seen goes a long way toward improving mental health. That’s why we strive to foster a workplace where everyone belongs and knows their voice matters. We do that by offering Caregiver Resource Groups where caregivers can connect with others with similar backgrounds, cultivating a culture that lifts people up and ensuring our staff reflects the diverse communities we serve.

Prioritize your mental health with us

We believe it’s crucial to create a work environment where conversations about mental health are encouraged and normalized, and where everyone can prioritize their own mental health as a key component of their overall wellbeing. If you agree, consider checking out our job listings.