‘Managing Worry in Uncertain Times’ was the title of a webinar organised by Atlas Healthcare for group clients on October 14, as part of the Atlas Group’s focus on mental health awareness during the month of October.
The webinar, which was open for Atlas corporate clients and members of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, was an interactive one and was run by an ICAS International master’s level clinician, Catherine Srubisky.
Catherine Calleja, managing director at Atlas Healthcare, gave a short introduction on the ICAS Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). She said that ICAS is a global employee assistance programme that provides unlimited direct access on a 24/7 basis to psychologists for employees and their families as well as local face-to-face counselling, legal and financial helplines and support for HR and line managers.
She added that ICAS has been designing and developing well-being, counselling and EAPs for over 30 years, initially in the UK and then expanded globally in 185 countries.
Viewing stress as a positive challenge can be an incredibly helpful and protective tool
“Atlas Healthcare has recently introduced ICAS International to Malta for the benefit of its employees and clients. We believe that supporting wellness and, in particular, mental health is of paramount importance and constitutes a key motivational factor at work. Within the current pandemic crisis, this becomes even more relevant,” Calleja said.
Srubisky, a South Africa-based clinical psychologist and ICAS facilitator, delivered the keynote speech. During her interactive session, which included questions from clients and members of the group’s management team, Srubisky asked: “Why is the world so worried?”
She said there is still a lot of uncertainty in the COVID-19 scenario. “It is not just about the virus and our own sense of safety but also about the multitude of impacts that COVID-19 has in terms of our financial security, careers, our working roles and our relationships with others,” she noted.
She added that viewing stress as a positive challenge can be an incredibly helpful and protective tool. The challenge and the difficulty is when we keep stressing and worry too much, or when stress and worry completely overwhelm and exceeds our ability to actually respond.
During the month of October, Atlas promoted a 30-day Mental Health Challenge calendar, a month-long initiative on mental health, during which the firm shared a daily challenge with information and tips on its social media platforms on how to better take care of oneself and each other. The challenges were intended to improve mental wellness, raise awareness and fight the stigma of mental health.