2024 DMEC Virtual Mental Health Conference: Destigmatizing Mental Health Through Belonging, Kindness, and Grace

Recent events, from pandemics to climate change to war, affect how people think and feel. A steady stream of negative news can be detrimental to health. In fact, the stress of managing these events is affecting people’s mental health. One study of human resources professionals found that 70% of 18- to 34-year-olds are just trying to make it through the week. And individuals with mental illness and physical conditions may have a more severe reaction to these events because on so-called “normal” days, they may be at capacity managing their illness along with daily responsibilities and deadline-oriented tasks. 

Absence management professionals are seeing this play out with an increase in accommodation requests. The team at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics supports leave and accommodation requests for direct patient care and business operations staff. Join us for this employer showcase highlighting practical solutions identified in employee cases through statistics related to mental illness, the challenges identified in those cases, and recommendations for addressing similar challenges successfully in your own organization. Tools and practical tips for managing your own well-being while also supporting others will be shared. Don’t miss this session to hear how University of Iowa’s mental health program has decreased the stigma of mental illness and promoted a sense of belonging, resulting in its employees seeking support from others when needed, being kind to themselves and one another, and giving themselves and each other grace. 

Speaker 
Aarin Harper, Leave and Disability Administrator, University of Iowa Health Care