Are You Prepared for a Mental Health Crisis at Your Meeting?

The top worries that come to mind in risk management planning are always the same: fires, weather, protestors. Mental health has not been part of the discussion – until now.

The Event Safety Alliance Canada recently included several sessions related to mental health and harm reduction at its annual conference. Topics included mental health first aid and psychological health and safety.

“Like all businesses, meeting planners should have a plan to support people developing a mental health problem, or experiencing a mental health crisis, including both workers and attendees,” said Janice Sellery, ESAC Chair.

Meetings Can Be a Catalyst

The combination of an unfamiliar environment and alcohol – a social staple at events – amplify the risks for individuals with mental health challenges. 

Organizers can take steps to ease attendees’ stress and any feelings of isolation. “Planners could organize structured networking sessions and social activities to foster a sense of belonging,” said Leslie Bennett, partner – human capital innovator at Mental Health Innovations (MHI). “A buddy system or organized group meet-ups could give attendees opportunities to connect with others.”

Bennett advocates for WeCARE Psychological Safety Training for meeting staff, so they can act as points of contact for each other. “This ensures that mental health support is embedded into the event environment.”

MHI provides peer support training, where event organizers empower a designated group of individuals to provide empathetic, non-judgmental support to attendees during an event. “These trained peers could be integrated into the event environment as an extension of the registration staff or as volunteers,” she said.

It’s important to promote these support services in emails and other meeting communications, such as the conference program or the app.

The Shambhala Music Festival, held each summer in British Columbia, has a number of features to promote mental health. The Sanctuary is a dedicated space where festival-goers can decompress and receive support from trained professionals. There are also outreach teams in purple bandanas who provide education on harm reduction and emotional well-being, and connect attendees to additional help if needed.

Resources Are Available

The time to start planning for mental health emergencies is right from the start, says travel safety and meeting risk reduction expert Kevin Coffey.

“Meeting planners always practice for ‘what if’ situations in terms of falls or heart attacks, but that same scenario should also include a discussion about if someone were to have a mental health episode.”

Meeting planners should reach out to their HR departments to find out what resources are available to employees who are traveling. “Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) programs sometimes have a mental health component, and these resources can be used for counseling for both the employee who is having the crisis and the employee who is trying to assist that person,” Coffey said.

Some business travel insurance policies also include mental health support. Travel risk providers such as International SOS also typically have provisions.

Another ‘what-if’ scenario involves family crises that might occur back at home, such as if an attendee were to have a death in the family. “This impacts them greatly,” he said. “They could be all the way across the country or overseas and need someone to talk to. The meeting planning staff needs to know how to deal with that.”

More Support Needed

Bennett believes that meeting industry associations could do more on this front, like establishing clear, standardized protocols for mental health awareness, response and support at events, and offering training for planners.

The best place to start is at the event design stage. “This could involve promoting the creation of quiet spaces, sober social options and ensuring that mental health support is easily accessible,” she said. “Furthermore, they can support the development of specific guidelines for minimizing stress and anxiety during large-scale events, similar to the harm reduction models used to address alcohol consumption.

“By providing resources, creating standards, and advocating for mental health at all stages of event planning, these associations can lead the charge.”