How to write a Mental Health Strategy that is actually a Mental Health Strategy (3/4)

I bit the bullet last week and published a piece about why I think most mental health ‘strategies’ are likely to fail.  This needed to be said - not to offend anyone - but to seriously highlight the difference between a collection of activities and a fully integrated strategy. 

To recap, what I often see today is sporadic activity around health, wellbeing and mental health in businesses. The jigsaw pieces are there, but there isn’t any structure around them. The so-called  ‘strategy’ is instead a tick list of all of the things the organisation is doing, divorced from other organisational systems, processes and policies. In other words, it’s just not a strategy at all… 

It was great to see lots of agreement from those of you that commented. Through this discussion we agreed that organisations need to write and implement long term, sustainable, end-to-end mental health and wellbeing strategies, and that these need to be taken as seriously as the business, marketing, HR, finance and other strategies created and implemented by the organisation. In other words, board level, measurable and systemic. We are talking culture change here. 

If you have seen any of my other blogs or vlogs, you will know that my intention is to change the status quo by offering my observations and presenting a solution or alternative (instead of simply pointing out all that is wrong). So here are some crucial tips on how to write a mental health strategy:

1.    Be specific: A strategy is ‘a plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim’ (Oxford Dictionary). Start by being brutally honest about what you are trying to achieve in your health, mental health and wellbeing strategy. Is it SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant or time-bound)? If not, then it really needs to be. Starting with a fluffy or woolly intention leads to a fluffy or woolly strategy… or a list of activities...

2.    Get your facts straight: Next audit or review what you actually have within the organisation. Look at what, if any, health and wellbeing activities you are doing already, what health providers you have, how they work, who is using them and for what? Gather together as much data as you can: absence figures, retention, engagement scores, exit interviews…  

3.    Create a structure: Once you have a handle on where you are as an organisation and what you need, you can then piece together your strategy. There are a number of evidence-based structures you can use – the 5 pillars of wellbeing, Business in the Community Workwell and so on. The point is to have some structure to begin from. You use this structure to create a plan which will enable you to achieve your SMART aim.  

4.    Spot the gaps: Start to map what you have already in place onto the structure you have chosen. Where do the health, mental health and wellbeing activities fit? Where are the gaps? Do you have the right health providers? Are you using them correctly? Are you doing the right activities? Are you measuring the right things? You can make a great start by doing the things you are already doing in a better or more structured way. 

5.    Plot a timeline: Write a plan of what you are going to do now, in the months to come and over the next few years. 

6.    Establish KPIs: Create a dashboard or way of measuring your strategy. This will include some of the data you have already pulled together and some KPIs. Part of your strategy could be to measure new things or use data differently.

7.    Sponsorship: I’ll be covering this in detail in the coming months, but in brief, you’ll also need to ensure you have the right sponsorship and support for your strategy. A comprehensive stakeholder map is needed alongside your dashboard and plan.  

The model that I use for strategies is an end-to-end health approach. I map all my activities and measurement around these: 

·     Education / literacy / prevention: how do you get people engaged and keep them healthy?

·     Early stage: what support, policies and training need to be in place to help people who are in the early stage of an illness or problem?

·     Ill:  how do we look after people who are ill, ensuring they have the clinical and organisational support they need to manage their illness?

Clearly, there’s a lot to think about before launching into writing a health or mental health strategy. If you’d like some advice, I’d be more than happy to offer you some. 

Next topic is ‘Why talk is cheap, especially around mental health.’ As you know, in recent years we have seen an explosion in people talking about mental health from Royals, to business leaders to celebrities. I want to discuss the downside of all of this chat and why talking isn’t getting us anywhere, really. It’s a must read for anyone involved or interested in the current wave of health, mental health and wellbeing conversation. 

Keep going with comments and debate. The more we explore these topics together, the more we can change things for the better.

You can sign up for Amy’s 6-week practical, skills led course on all aspects of creating and implementing an organisational health, mental health, or wellbeing strategy and programme - check out more info HERE