Psychological Health & Safety Consulting

Safety Services Manitoba has developed a consulting team to assist organizations in the integration of the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace.

SSM has developed a holistic approach through integration of the standard as a Psychological Health and Safety Management System (PHSMS). This approach is endorsed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and Canadian Centre of Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) and SAFE Work Manitoba.

This standard, when integrated within the workplace, has been shown to provide benefits and return on investment, including reduction of physical and psychological injuries.

Success does not require a complete overhaul of current systems and policies, it can be done using a phased and strategic approach, and the goal is integration, not a standalone set of policies or initiatives.

SSM Process:

1. Support organizations in the orientation to the Standard using the methods that work best for you and your staff.
2. Work with your executive to understand your organization, your current culture and workforce, and readiness to move forward.
3. Work with you to develop a business case and ROI expectations for your organization.
4. Using the MHCC and CSA endorsed tools and processes, conduct a gap and opportunity analysis of current policies, procedures, and initiatives.
5. Develop and facilitate staff engagement plans which are required to achieve the standard.
6. Assist with priority setting in devising achievable solutions for integration of the standards within your strategic planning.
7. Create a monitoring and evaluation plan both for implementation of progress, timelines, and targeted outcomes.

The thirteen psychosocial factors addressed are:

• Psychological Support
• Organizational Culture
• Clear Leadership and Expectations
• Civility and Respect
• Psychological Job Fit
• Growth and Development
• Recognition and Reward
• Involvement and Influence
• Workload Management
• Engagement
• Work/Life Balance
• Psychological Protection
• Protection of Physical Safety

A Brief overview of the National Standard:

The National Standard (CAN/CSA Z1003) for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace identifies 13 psychosocial workplace factors that can impact employees. The goal is to identify and prevent harm in the workplace as part of an ongoing process of continual improvement.

The work to support this has been commissioned by the MHCC primarily to the CSA who provide resources and research but do not provide services to directly help organizations implement the standard.

While achievement of the standard is voluntary and requires sustained commitment of the organization; data shows significant return on investment for organizations who invest in achieving the standard. Achievement of the standard has also been adopted, province wide in Manitoba, by all Industry Based Safety Providers. This standard is a key strategy in the achievement of employers becoming SAFE Work Certified with the Workers Compensation Board.

Video – Psychological Safety In The Workplace (Mental Health Commission of Canada)

Video – Psychological Safety for Healthcare Workers (Mental Health Commission of Canada)

Our Team

Cynthia Carr, Lead Consultant/Project Manager: Cynthia Carr (BA (Hons-Psych), MPA, MSc, ICD.D, Cert. Health Law) brings more than 25 years of experience in engagement, strategic planning and evaluation. She has worked with clients, from community to corporate, to identify and use the best data to set the groundwork for goals, pathways and monitoring of progress toward those goals. She is a highly respected public health advocate and expert in the social determinants of health, all of which relate to Psychological Health and Safety in the workplace.

Jordan Friesen, O.T. Reg. (MB), Associate Consultant: Jordan is a mental health consultant with experience developing and leading national initiatives focused on psychological health and safety in the workplace. He drove the uptake of Canada’s first certification program for psychological health and safety and has personally certified over 500 practitioners. His clients include large financial institutions, professional service firms, and government.

Roberta (Bobbie) Kiesman, Occupational Safety Consultant: Bobbie Kiesman is an occupational Health and Safety Consultant with Safety Services Manitoba. Prior to joining the Safety Service Manitoba team, she spent over 15 years as a health and safety professional in various industry sectors including Health Care, Agriculture, Construction, and Manufacturing. Bobbie has extensive education in Occupational Safety and Health including a Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health, Canadian Registered Safety Professional, National Construction Safety Office, and certified Auditor.

Feedback & Testimonials

91% of respondents indicated they would recommend the Psychological Health & Safety Workshop from SSM.

77% of respondents said they learned strategies to help them at their workplace.

Attendees said:

• “I liked how the workshop normalized mistakes and talked about different ways of communicating.”
• “I loved how interactive the workshop was.”
• “Workshop was well structured.  There was a good mix of activities, break times and lecturing.”
• “The team building part was really good!”
• “Enjoyed the hands-on activities.  Please continue with them.”