PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – As part of a Rural Health and Wellbeing Grand Challenge Grant, the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Employer U program will host a series of workshops this spring focused on workforce mental health and wellbeing in rural communities.
The series, Mental Health for “Wealth”, kicks off on Thursday, Jan. 20 with a presentation by special guest Dr. Errol Rodriguez, assistant dean of psychology at Adelphi University.
Dr. Rodriguez, who is also a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in New York City, will offer a talk titled “Emerging from the Pandemic,” which will address a variety of workplace mental health topics. This session will take place via Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. on Jan. 20 with time for Q&A. All are invited to attend this free virtual event. To register for this presentation and obtain the Zoom link, visit https://www.umpi.edu/employer-u/employeru-registration-form/ and select Mental Health for “Wealth” Workshop from the dropdown menu.
“The goal of these workshops is to help educate employers on how best to address issues of employee mental health, workplace violence, on the job substance abuse, workplace injury prevention, and overall workforce wellbeing,” Kim Jones, director of Employer U, said. “Additionally, presenters will provide self-help information, making these workshops relevant and beneficial to anyone.”
Dr. Rodriguez’s presentation will be followed by four workshops between February and May. In February, a workshop titled “Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise” will focus on workplace mental health and its impact on organizational success. Angela Fileccia, LCSW, director of the Healthy Life Resources program at Northern Light Acadia Healthcare, will serve as the presenter. In March “Budget Cuts, Staffing Shortages, and Other Disasters” will focus on workplace mental health in times of crisis or change. The session presenter will be Stacee DeLisle, LCPC, Aroostook Mental Health Center.
In April “The High Cost of Substance Use” will focus on workplace mental health when drugs and alcohol are everywhere. This session will be led by Lorraine Chamberlain, LCSW, AMHC. The series ends in May with a workshop titled “Seeking Security in an Insecure World,” which will focus on workplace mental health techniques to reduce aggression and violence. Kevin Reed, Northern Light A.R. Gould Hospital manager of safety and security, will serve as the presenter.
The workshop series is one part of an expansive Rural Health and Wellbeing Grand Challenge Pilot Initiative that includes more than 20 faculty and staff members throughout the University of Maine System as well as State of Maine officials. For her part of the project, Jones has worked over the last year with UMPI students and mental health experts to conduct employee/employer surveys and develop workshop topics based on the feedback received. Project partners include Northern Light A.R. Gould Hospital, Cary Medical Center, and Aroostook Mental Health Center.
All sessions are free and open to the public. Lunch will be included with sessions 2 through 4 (unless COVID restrictions prevent on-campus gatherings). All attendees will be entered for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Shop ‘n Save (one winner per session will be selected randomly).
To register for any of these sessions, visit https://www.umpi.edu/employer-u/employeru-registration-form/ and select Mental Health for “Wealth” Workshop from the dropdown menu. For more information, contact Jones at kimberly.a.jones@maine.edu or 207-768-9459.
UMPI’s Employer U program, established in 2015, is designed to provide ongoing professional development opportunities through dynamic, customized trainings that meet the unique workforce needs of its clients across Aroostook County with a focus on each organization’s culture, resources, and purpose. Employer U delivers program content full of immersive, hands-on experiences, and in a variety of ways to ensure participants—regardless of their learning styles—are able to understand, retain and apply the information. Existing programs, such as American Management Association certification, the Young Professionals Institute, and K-12 educator CEU courses, are delivered through Employer U, with new offerings being added frequently to address topics relevant in today’s and tomorrow’s workplace.
