Abstract:

The Occupational Health, Safety and Prevention Innovation Program (OHSPIP) of the Ontario Ministry of Labour and The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University have partnered to develop interactive online courses to support workplace mental health for front line workers in health care settings across Ontario, Canada to promote equitable education for those living in rural and remote communities. Front line workers like nurses and paramedics are at least twice as likely to suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The 2016 Ontario legislation - Supporting Ontario’s First Responders Act - recognizes PTSD diagnosis in front line workers presumed to be work related. It is estimated that mental illness costs Canada $20.7 billion annually, or 1.3% of GDP, due to lost labour force participation of almost 452,000 workers stemming from the six most common conditions affecting the working-age population.

Through design and development of specialized training, this project aims to promote good psychological health and safety in the workplace through game-based scenarios that are reflective of the real-life experiences and issues that have the potential to arise in health care settings.There are two training courses, which consist of a total of 15 weekly quests, requiring the equivalent of 1½ hours of instruction and engagement per week. The first course aims at building mental health capacity and resilience of front line workers in the workplace setting. The second course focuses on developing a psychological health and safety management system (as described in CAN/CSA-Z1003-13) and so is aimed at managers, directors and other leaders who support front line workers, to build capacity across the healthcare sector. Leveraging the Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR) framework, for mental health self-appraisal and coping skills development, the training includes virtual game based simulations that promote collaborative and active learning along with opportunities to build a network of support with peers. This includes online role-play where learners can easily create their own characters and collaboratively build case scenarios in real time. Using game-based learning design principle to solidify and practice concepts and strategies helps learners apply their newfound knowledge and skills to their workplace faster and more effectively. The training provides a novel and engaging way for health care front line workers to practice their problem-solving skills online and within a real-world context.

Both training courses are delivered fully online in an asynchronous format to meet the needs of the target audience. The broad reach enabled through online learning will provide an opportunity for participants to engage throughout the Province in regional and metropolitan areas. Through this engaging curriculum, we wish to contribute to a self-awareness of work related stress response and support engagement in mental health self-care. This training also adds to the solution-oriented initiatives by the Province and other relevant curriculum that is working towards improving workplace mental health. The development, implementation, learner experience and outcomes of the first cohorts will be presented. This will include user experience related to outcome and impact in the workplace, as well as a discussion of opportunities for project sustainability.

Keywords:

Front Line, Healthcare, Mental Health, Workplace.