UBC provides faculty and staff with a range of supports to help manage mental health challenges — we have compiled a list of mental health-related tools and resources to help leaders find and leverage these supports.
GreenShield provides resources to help you improve your mental health and wellbeing.
To access the integrated health services and wellbeing offerings through GreenShield Health, eligible faculty and staff will need to login to the GreenShield+ platform.
- Go to app.greenshieldplus.ca/en/sign-up
- Select “Through an Employer or Organization”
- If your family member is signing up, they will select “Through a family member”, and then provide their email. They will then follow the same steps below.
- Select “I have an Organization Code”
- Our Organization Code is: UBC
- Follow the steps to register. You will need your UBC Employee ID
Immediate mental health support
Call 1-866-424-0770, or use GreenShield+ website/mobile app to organize a session with a clinical counsellor. When you connect with a counsellor, you will be speaking to someone who has a minimum of a master’s degree in a related field and is licensed with at least five years of EFAP-specific experience.
Access registered/licensed clinical psychologists and social workers, or clinical counsellors through the psychological services provision under your extended benefits plan.
Helpful links
- Find out how to register to get access to Sun Life and where to locate your coverage
- Find the right health-care provider
- Learn about making a claim through Sun Life
- Review these Tips to help you choose a counsellor
If you have any questions about your benefits package, please contact 604-822-8111 or email benefitsinfo@hr.ubc.ca.
The Not Myself Today (NMT) program connects people and teams with resources, lesson plans and direct support to help de-stigmatize mental health challenges and foster a safe and supportive work environment.
Review some of the resources that demonstrate the value of becoming an NMT ambassador.
If you are interested in more NMT resources, you can learn more on the Not Myself Today page.
General resources
Share the link to UBC's comprehensive webpage of staff and faculty mental health resources.
Suggest that individuals learn about mental health through UBC Thrive, an annual mental health literacy campaign.
Ensure your teams know how and where to register for mental health training or education programs:
- Visit Wellbeing workshops and courses for full lists of available training programs for both self-paced and facilitated options.
Consider enrolling your department or unit in the Not Myself Today program. This workplace-based mental health campaign comes with online modules, activities and resources related to mindfulness, stress management, positive culture change and more.
Visit UBC’s Hybrid Work for Leader webpage for key resources, considerations and tips.
Familiarize yourself, and consider sharing this list of BC-specific mental health resources and supports for specific communities including people with disabilities and those who identify as IBPOC/BIPOC, Indigenous, and LGBTQ2S+: Mental Health Resources for Diverse Communities.
If you are looking to support to support transgender, Two-Spirit, and non-binary (T2SNB) employees at work, access the Supporting T2SNB Employees toolkit here.
If someone is experiencing mental distress:
BC-specific
- Access and Assessment Centre, Vancouver General Hospital: 604.675.3700 (7:30am – 11pm)
- Mental Health and Substance Use Services, Interior Health: 250.868.7788 (11:30-9pm) or Kelowna General Hospital 250.862.4000
- Mental Health Support Line: 310.6789 (no area code). This number will connect you to your local BC crisis line without a wait or busy signal, 24 hours a day, crisiscentre.bc.ca
Canada-wide (including BC)
- Crisis Services Canada (24/7): 1.800.784.2433, crisisservicescanada.ca/en or nearest hospital emergency department
- Kids Help Phone: Provides a texting option for Indigenous youth and adults to connect with a First Nations, Metis, or Inuit crisis responder. Youth text 68 68 68 and adults text 741 741 with the word "First Nations" or "Metis" or "Inuit" to be connected to a crisis responder from their nation if one is available (Indigenous crisis responders are not guaranteed but will be prioritized)
General mental health resources:
BC-specific
- Métis Crisis Line: 1-833-MÉTISBC (1.833.638.4722)
- HealthlinkBC: 811, healthlinkbc.ca
- Medimap BC: See available walk-in clinics and wait times, and book an appointment before visiting the location
Canada-wide (including BC)
- Indigenous Mental Health Counselling and Crisis Intervention: 1.855.242.3310, hopeforwellness.ca
International
- Wellness Together Canada (24/7 access for Canadians anywhere in the world. Online assessment and connection to e-mental health resources, individual counselling by phone, text, video)
Use the Assisting students in distress guide for the steps that you can take to offer assistance and mental health resources to students or student staff.
Mental health issues in the workplace
Managers, deans and heads can also access the Assisting Staff and Faculty in Distress webpage for how to recognize signs of declining mental health and for ways to respond with concern and empathy.
You can also use UBC's Mental Health Continuum for Leaders that lists signs and indicators of declining mental health, along with associated UBC resources and supports.
- Access the Assisting Staff and Faculty in Distress webpage for how to recognize signs of declining mental health and for ways to respond with concern and empathy.
- Take UBC’s required mental health training for managers and supervisors: Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace.
- Seek advice from staff advisory services in Vancouver or the Okanagan or your Faculty Relations contact.
- Register for free coaching sessions to help you prepare for difficult conversations.
Learn more about how to talk about mental health or access a Supportive Conversation Library for tools and strategies to support conversations when mental health might be an issue.
Take UBC’s required mental health training for managers and supervisors: Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace.
Access other UBC mental health training for managers.
Creating a healthy work environment
Book a consultation with a member of our team to help you find the programs, workshops, or funding opportunities that suit your department or unit’s needs.
Consider enrolling your department or unit in the Not Myself Today program. This workplace-based mental health campaign comes with online modules, activities and resources related to mindfulness, stress management, positive culture change and more.
- Visit UBC’s Hybrid Work for Leader webpage for key resources, considerations and tips.
- Share UBC’s Hybrid Work for Staff webpage with your team.
- Share the link to UBC's comprehensive webpage of staff and faculty mental health resources with your team.
- Suggest that individuals learn about mental health through UBC Thrive, an annual mental health literacy campaign that includes virtual events.
- Use UBC's Mental Health Continuum for Leaders that lists signs and indicators of declining mental health, along with associated UBC resources and supports.
- Ensure your teams know how and where to register for mental health training or education programs: Visit UBC's Wellbeing Workshops and Courses webpage for full lists of available training programs.
Research indicates that there is a set of factors that contribute to the positive psychological health and wellbeing of workers in Canada. These are the basis for the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety from the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
Psychological safety is present when colleagues feel they can express ideas, concerns, ask questions, and interact freely with agency - without fear of punishment, retaliation, exclusion, or inequities (Bhasin consulting).
A psychologically safe leader values - and actively contributes - to the psychological wellbeing of their teams.
Resources
- UBC’s self-paced course: Psychological Health and Safety 101
- Watch a video with Amy Edmondson on Creating Psychological Safety at Work.
- UBC’s video series on psychologically healthy and safe leadership
As a leader, it’s important to recognize the value in working collaboratively, practicing transparency and both encouraging and participating in open discussions within your team.
Resources
UBC:
- Helping teams develop performance objectives
- Leading and managing safe, healthy and inclusive communities at UBC
- Staff performance conversations
- One-to-one coaching for UBC staff and faculty
- Facilitation skills training
External:
As a leader, it’s important to be accessible to direct reports, to embed wellbeing check-ins into one-on-one and team conversations, and to openly acknowledge the importance of mental health.
Resources
UBC:
- Strengthening Wellbeing and Resilience for Leaders (LinkedIn Learning Path)
- Not Myself Today Initiative
- Creating a Hybrid Team Charter
- Leading and Motivating People with Different Personalities (LinkedIn Learning)
- A Conversational Compass for Better Conversations
-
Document
External:
As a leader, you can support direct reports and teams as they work through challenges, particularly when dealing with workload issues or shifting priorities.
Resources
UBC:
- UBC's Conflict Engagement Initiative
- Conflict theatre [On Hold]
- Conflict engagement advising (EIO)
- Mental Health training for managers
- Not Myself Today initiative
External:
In a psychologically healthy and safe workplace, the psychological impact of uncertain and difficult times or circumstances are openly recognized and support is provided.
Resources
UBC:
- Mental Health tools and resources
- Assisting colleagues in distress
- UBC's Employee and Family Assistance Program
- Safety and Risk Services
External:
A psychologically safe leader enacts strategies that contribute to fairness and integrity by continuing to develop their own self-awareness and demonstrating humility.
Resources
UBC:
- Leading and Managing Safe, Healthy and Inclusive Communities at UBC (LinkedIn Learning Path)
- Build a More Equitable and Inclusive Workplace (LinkedIn Learning Path)
- UBC supportive consultation services:
Additional resources:
Relevant resources to explore:
- UBC's Workplace Wellbeing Programs
- UBC's bullying and harassment protocol
- Promoting a respectful work environment and successful conflict management at UBC
- UBC’s Respectful Dialogue Guide
All managers and supervisors are invited to complete UBC’s required mental health training for managers and supervisors: Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace.
This training will help you understand how you can build a supportive workplace culture, address challenging times, and ensure you are aware of your responsibilities to your team and direct reports. Even after you have completed the training, you are welcome to revisit the course and take a look at the additional resources.
Managers and supervisors can consider applying for the Developing Leaders Program, designed to build capacity to lead with greater confidence and effectiveness for new and early career managers at UBC.
Department Heads, Associate Deans and Directors can consider applying for the Academic Leadership Development Program, designed to enhance and contribute to the personal fulfillment of new academic leaders at UBC.
Visit UBC's resource page of mental health tools and resources for faculty and staff.
Visit UBC's resource page of mental health tools and resources for HR professionals.
We encourage you to contact the Workplace Wellbeing directly and book a consultation if you are seeking specific and strategic support or training to help you address mental health issues with your staff or faculty.