Resource Audience Type: Leaders & Managers

Workplace Mental Health in LTC

Posted on April 6, 2021 by -

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About the Initiative | Learn About the National Standard | Plan to Implement the Standard
Conduct an Assessment | Additional Resources | Advisory Group Members

Workplace Mental Health in LTC for Early Adopters: Leadership Training and Support Program

The call for Expressions of Interest for the second round of the Early Adopters Program Opens soon!

The Ontario CLRI at the RIA invites leaders in long-term care to take your workplace mental health strategy to the next level. Learn how to build an organizational culture that promotes and protects the mental health of all team members, and improves workforce productivity, recruitment and retention.

Go to the Call for Expressions of Interest

About the Initiative

This Workplace Mental Health in LTC initiative supports long-term care (LTC) homes across Ontario to adopt the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. The Standard was published in 2013 and defines a systematic approach to creating and sustaining a psychologically safe and healthy work environment.

Working in LTC is psychologically demanding. Frontline workers experience physical and emotional stress, time pressures, bullying, violence, racism, and a workplace culture that often devalues the role of care providers. According to the Ontario government’s Long-Term Care Staffing Study (July 2020), team members in LTC are “feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, and unrecognized.” These conditions contribute to high rates of injury, disability, absenteeism, staff turnover and recruitment challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic has only magnified these issues and highlighted the need for change in Ontario’s long-term care system. Emerging research shows that workers are experiencing rising levels of depression, anxiety, grief and post-traumatic stress.

The Ontario CLRI is collaborating with mental health experts, occupational health and safety service providers, unions, researchers, educators, provincial associations and other stakeholders to co-design an effective and sustainable support system for LTC homes. The Psychological Health and Safety in Long-Term Care initiative will promote evidence-based resources, offer training programs tailored for the LTC sector, and cultivate a network of psychological health and safety champions. By creating a workplace culture that promotes and protects mental health, leaders in LTC can build and retain a resilient workforce that is well equipped to provide quality care for residents and support for families.

A Psychological Health and Safety in Long-Term Care Advisory Committee (see below) and other experts contribute to the work of this initiative.

Infection Prevention and Control in Long-Term Care

Posted on March 17, 2021 by -

This page includes tools and resources to equip those working and volunteering in long-term care (LTC) with the skills and knowledge they need to protect themselves, their colleagues, residents, family members, and community members.

The Ontario CLRI at the RIA has developed infection and prevention control (IPAC) eLearning courses for team members and essential care partners. These courses combine education on IPAC core concepts with application to LTC-specific situations and tasks.

If you have a resource to suggest for this page, please contact us at info@clri-ltc.ca.

Tools to Boost Vaccine Confidence in LTC Teams

Posted on March 2, 2021 by -

Getting vaccinated is critical to protecting yourself, your loved ones and our most vulnerable Ontarians from COVID-19. Each person vaccinated brings us one step closer to eliminating COVID-19 from our long-term care homes and our communities.

That’s why we’re working to build vaccine confidence — and where you come in. People are more likely to listen to someone they know and trust. You can help boost vaccination rates by engaging with your colleagues and community on vaccine safety.

Jump to… ProTect Framework | Why You Should Get the Vaccine Videos  | Multilingual Library of Vaccine Information

The Living Classroom

Posted on February 18, 2021 by -

Living Classroom logo
The Living Classroom is a partnership model that integrates education into a long-term care or retirement home to support workforce development. Students, faculty, and those living, visiting and working in the home engage in a culture of shared learning. Personal Support Worker education is one of many Living Classroom experiences. Learn more on the Living Classroom website.