Meet Workplace Mental Health and Wellness Director Dr. Steven Conway
Mental health problems and illnesses account for 20 percent of sick leaves and 30 percent of disability claims annually (Mental Health Commission of Canada). The cost to the Canadian economy is more than $50 billion annually, also contributing to lost productivity due to absenteeism, presenteeism, and turnover.
In 2022, the Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC introduced a mental health strategy to support food processors and manufacturers. Leading this strategy is new Alliance Mental Health and Wellness Director, Dr. Steven Conway.
To learn more, we sat down with Steve to ask him a few questions:
Q: What is your role at the Alliance?
I’m the Mental Health and Wellness Director. My role, which is new to the Alliance, is to support members in promoting and developing employee mental health and wellness and to direct the implementation our mental health strategy.
Q: How will you be supporting members and OSSE-Certified Organizations?
In my role as the Mental Health and Wellness Director, I am available to provide expertise, guidance, and coaching to help leaders, HR professionals, and senior managers incorporate and develop mental health and wellness initiatives. While I will not provide counselling, I am available to consult on specific mental health issues employers may be facing.
I will be working with our team at the Alliance and partner organizations to develop a library of high quality and relevant online mental health resources, help facilitate mental health training for members, and introduce a mental health GAP tool for members.
Q: How will members be able to access these specialized services?
Members can contact me directly, ask for help online, or ask their advisor to connect them with me. Please reach out for any assistance in promoting workplace mental health and wellness. I am happy to help.
Q: Will the Alliance be offering more workplace mental health training in the future?
Absolutely! We are currently partnering with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) to offer courses for executives and leaders. We are also developing our own courses for members that will cover a variety of mental health and wellness related topics. If members have specific topics of concern for future course development, they can reach out to me directly:
For details on upcoming mental health courses and webinars, check out:
- Shift Away from Workplace Fatigue | Feb 14 @ 10:30am
- Harassment & Bullying in the Workplace | Feb 22 @ 2:00pm
- Respond with Respect: Workplace Mental Health Skills for Managers | Feb 28/Mar 23/Apr 6 @ 8:00am-12:00pm
