2023 Mental Health Awareness Week: May 1-7 

In any given year, 1 in 5 people in Canada will personally experience a mental health problem or illness.  

This means that at some point in our lives, we are likely to experience a mental health problem or know someone, such as a family member, colleague, or friend, living with a mental health problem or illness. Each of us has mental health, and in the past few years, we have come to realize just how crucial it is to prioritize our mental health. 

The theme for the 2023 Mental Health Week is "My Story.". This theme emphasizes that everyone has a unique and valuable story to share, all of which can be used to promote a meaningful message: that we must work together to reduce the barriers that so many people face when seeking mental health support.  

Visit the CMHA #MyStory page for more 

At UBC, we acknowledge that we all have mental health, and while it might look and feel different for each of us, we all benefit from maintaining and fostering it. It's vital to remember that mental health is just as important as physical health, and we must prioritize it accordingly. This can be the act of talking about mental health to help reduce stigma or accessing educational resources to help have conversations about mental health and identify signs that help is needed. 

Here are two UBC resources that can help you improve your understanding of mental health.  

• Thrive talking about mental health 
• Intersectional Approaches to Mental Health 

UBC mental health resources 

We also have a range of resources and options for faculty and staff at UBC seeking direct assistance with their mental health at home and in the workplace.

Employee and Family Assistance Program: LifeWorks   

Have you accessed our Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)? While some people are aware they can access counsellors through our EFAP – the articles, self-guided programs (like CareNow a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-based program), and online assessments that are available through LifeWorks aren’t as well known. These supports, which are 100% paid for by UBC, are available on-demand to help bolster your mental health before you need to reach out for additional support from a health-care professional.   

To access LifeWorks:  

• Go to the UBC LifeWorks login page 
• Log in with the Company Code: ubc  
• You will then be redirected to a CWL page. Enter your login name, password, and multi-factor authentication 

Mental health services through your extended benefits  

If you are enrolled in UBC’s extended health benefits, you can seek support from registered/licensed clinical psychologists, or registered/licensed social workers, or clinical counsellors and they are 100% covered to a limit of $3,000 per year, per person based on reasonable and customary charges.   

Learn more about your Extended Health benefits.  

Support your team by becoming a Not Myself Today Ambassador  

If you would like to take on a more active role in your team to share helpful mental health content including articles, podcasts, and other tools with your colleagues then you might consider joining the other 40+ Not Myself Today ambassadors across UBC.  

Not Myself Today Ambassadors are champions for mental health, they encourage teams and colleagues to remain resilient in the face of our changing work environment, and they create a space for people to be honest about how they are feeling. We know people are busy, and we know some people don’t feel comfortable being seen as mental health experts. That is why Not Myself Today was developed by the Canadian Mental Health Association, to connect people and teams with resources, lesson plans, and direct support to help de-stigmatize mental health and foster a safe and supportive work environment.  

Find out more about the Not Myself Today ambassador program