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Dear ODEP Friends and Supporters,
At the Office of Disability Employment Policy and the U.S. Department of Labor at large, we are committed to supporting the mental health of America’s workers. This means ensuring that all people with mental health conditions have access, if needed, to the services and supports to succeed in employment. Indeed, each year, ODEP’s Job Accommodation Network (JAN) responds to some 40,000 requests for free, one-on-one, customized accommodation assistance—approximately 10,000 of which are mental health-related. This is a core issue we focus on all year long.
In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, this special edition of the ODEP News Brief highlights the many resources we offer to help employers, workers, service providers and policymakers learn about and take action on workforce mental health and well-being. We are also unveiling DOL’s new resource page “Youth Employment: A Foundation for Mental Health and Well-Being,” a hub of information and guidance to help every member of the community do their part to support young workers’ mental health. On May 14, at 2 p.m. ET, I will join a DOL webinar on this topic, along with other agencies’ leadership, and you can register for the event now.
We encourage you to bookmark this News Brief as a reference and, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe for new resources on mental health and other topics delivered directly each week. Also, you can now follow us on LinkedIn to receive the latest updates on ODEP’s work to promote workplace success for disabled people.
Sincerely,
Taryn M. Williams
Assistant Secretary
Office of Disability Employment Policy
U.S. Department of Labor
Workplace Mental Health Toolkit – This resource from the ODEP-funded Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) highlights best practices for creating mental health-friendly workplaces, organized by the “Four As”: awareness, accommodations, assistance and access. It also provides examples of successful mental health initiatives implemented by a variety of organizations.
Mental Health and Marginalized Communities – Part of the Workplace Mental Health Toolkit, this EARN resource educates employers on how to support the mental health of workers who are members of marginalized communities, outlining 10 action steps based on information gleaned during listening sessions with a variety of organizations.
Navigating Mental Health in Skilled Trade and Industrial Occupations – Part of the Workplace Mental Health Toolkit, this EARN learning guide provides information about mental health concerns in skilled trade and industrial occupations, including resources and quick tips to help employers promote a mental health-friendly workplace culture.
Accommodation and Compliance: Mental Health Conditions – This comprehensive resource from ODEP’s Job Accommodation Network (JAN) provides information about mental health conditions and common limitations and accommodation solutions for people with mental health conditions. It also provides links to a range of related articles and resources, including those focusing on specific conditions such as anxiety disorder and depression.
Dealing with Stress in the Workplace (Part 1 and Part 2) – These two articles, which are linked from JAN’s Mental Health Conditions page, above, provide strategies, job accommodation suggestions and additional resources that can help manage stress in the workplace. They also help identify when job accommodations might be needed for coping with workplace stress.
CDE PSA Campaign — Mental Health at Work: What Can I Do? – This public education campaign from the ODEP-funded Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE) features videos, posters and a workplace guide that organizations can use to raise awareness about the roles all people within an organization play in promoting a mental health-friendly workplace.
Mental Health and the Federal Workplace: What Can I Do? – This training video outlines ways federal employees at all levels can help promote a mental health-friendly workplace. Agency leaders, employee resource groups and others can use the video and its accompanying workplace guide to raise awareness and facilitate discussions about collaborative approaches to workplace mental health.
Extended Reality and Mental Health Support – This article from ODEP’s Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT) discusses how emerging technology—such as extended reality (XR), which includes virtual reality and immersive technologies—can support workers’ mental health and well-being.
Accommodation and Compliance: Mental Health Conditions – This comprehensive resource from ODEP’s Job Accommodation Network (JAN) provides information about mental health conditions and common limitations and accommodation solutions for people with mental health conditions. It also provides links to a range of related articles and resources, including those focusing on specific conditions such as anxiety disorder and depression.
Dealing with Stress in the Workplace (Part 1 and Part 2) – These two articles, which are linked from JAN’s Mental Health Conditions page, above,provide strategies, job accommodation suggestions and additional resources that can help manage stress in the workplace. They also help identify when job accommodations might be needed for coping with workplace stress.
CDE PSA Campaign — Mental Health at Work: What Can I Do? – This public education campaign from the ODEP-funded Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE) features videos, posters and a workplace guide that organizations can use to raise awareness about the roles all people within an organization play in promoting a mental health-friendly workplace.
Mental Health and the Federal Workplace: What Can I Do?– This CDE training video outlines ways federal employees at all levels can help promote a mental health-friendly workplace. Agency leaders, employee resource groups and others can use the video and its accompanying workplace guide to raise awareness and facilitate discussions about collaborative approaches to workplace mental health.
50 States: COVID-19 and Mental Health Policy Scan– This resource from ODEP’s Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth) provides a scan of all 50 states and their available mental health resources for students and young adults transitioning to the workforce.
Mental Health Matters: Policy Framework on Workforce Mental Health – This policy framework provides an overview of the Mental Health Matters national task force on workforce mental health policy convened by ODEP’s State Exchange on Employment & Disability (SEED). It presents four policy themes and questions to consider when crafting policy related to mental health and employment.
Mental Health Matters Task Force Policy Briefs – These four publications explore policy options for addressing barriers to employment for people with mental health conditions, based on the four policy themes examined by the Mental Health Matters national task force on workforce mental health, above:
- Nondiscrimination, parity and benefits
- Underserved rural, racial and ethnic communities
- Behavioral health workforce shortages and state resource systems
- Workplace care and supports
Inclusive Mental Health Policies: A Workforce Imperative – This National League of Cities blog post by San Antonio Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia calls upon local government leaders to foster inclusive, mental health-friendly workplaces and communities, citing successful examples that San Antonio has implemented.
Measuring Access to IPS and Employment Outcomes for Historically Underserved Groups – This issue brief from ODEP’s Advancing State Policy Integration for Recovery and Employment (ASPIRE) initiative reviews research on Individualized Placement and Support (IPS) for historically underserved groups and suggests a template for states to track race and ethnicity in IPS programs.
IPS for People with Co-occurring Substance Use Disorders – This ASPIRE issue brief examines challenges and effective strategies for helping job seekers with mental health conditions and co-occurring substance use disorders.
Employment and Education Services for Young Adults with Mental Health Conditions – This ASPIRE issue brief summarizes a review of seven randomized controlled trials showing substantially better outcomes for young adults with mental health conditions receiving IPS compared to those receiving standard employment services. It also suggests strategies for IPS teams working with this population.
Leveraging State Policy to Support Positive Mental Health and Employment for Youth with Marginalized Racial Identities – This resource from the ODEP-funded Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth) highlights how mental health policies can help states promote positive employment outcomes for youth and young adults, including those with disabilities who belong to marginalized racial groups.
Improving Mental Health Service Delivery Including Coordinated Specialty Care for Youth with a First Episode of Psychosis – This resource from CAPE-Youth emphasizes the importance of early intervention and coordinated specialty care to help youth and young adults with first-episode psychosis return to the workforce. It also highlights how resources and funds from the workforce development system and the American Rescue Plan can support these services.
50 States: COVID-19 and Mental Health Policy Scan – This resource from ODEP’s CAPE-Youth provides a scan of all 50 states and their available mental health resources for students and young adults transitioning to the workforce.