If Truth Be Told: Why Investing in a Mentally-Healthy Workplace is Good for Business
A Panel Discussion
October 16, 2018

On Tuesday evening, October 16, 2018, more than 165 guests filled Pierce Hall on the campus of McLean Hospital for an event focused on mental health in the workplace.  Sponsored by the Cole Resource Center (CRC), the program featured a panel moderated by Dr. Joe Flores of McLean. The panel brought together varying perspectives from CEO's, organizational leaders, and individuals with lived experience.  They discussed the challenges of stigma and discrimination, the many benefits of a work environment that embraces diversity including disabilities, and their respective efforts to create and inspire a better workplace for all.

The occasion included the official launch of the CRC’s Barkin/Whitman Workplace Development Program.  The program is named in honor of the Center's co-founders Evie Barkin and Anne Whitman, both of whom attended the event.  Joanne Grady-Savard, the current Executive Director of the CRC, described the practical steps offered by the program which supports individuals in finding jobs and internships.  Dr. Flores spoke movingly about the extraordinary contributions made by Barkin and Whitman and presented each of them with a glass plaque celebrating their new namesake program.  In acknowledging the honor, Evie Barkin and Anne Whitman each spoke about their personal experiences in the workplace and about their aspirations for helping others.  More about their story is here.

After the panel discussion, Joanne Grady-Savard concluded the evening with a call to action.  She noted the Job Fair being hosted next March by the Cole Resource Center for which she is seeking corporate partners and she challenged the audience to carry the ideas and inspiration from the program out into their lives and workplaces.

Photo Credits: Anthony Umbrianna (Info@AnthonyUmbrianna.com)