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Employee Health in the Mental Health Workplace: Clinical, Administrative, and Organizational Perspectives

The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research volume 43, pages 330–338 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Issues of mental health and employee health have risen to increasing prominence in recent years. However, there have been few explorations of the clinical and administrative challenges that these issues raise, particularly in settings that are themselves mental health workplaces. In order to identify and understand such challenges, a brief case of acute employee illness in a mental health workplace is described followed by a discussion of salient clinical, administrative, and organizational considerations. The case raises questions about medicolegal responsibilities and relationships between clinicians and patients in mental health settings, illuminates tensions between clinical staff and human resources processes, and draws attention to the need for illness prevention and mental health promotion initiatives in the workplace. Increased awareness of these issues, complications, and potential solutions would benefit clinicians, administrators, and mental health institutions.

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Notes

  1. Some details in the case report have been de-identified in order to protect patient privacy.

  2. Unpublished data

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Acknowledgments

We thank Rebecca A Miller and Maria O’Connell for the helpful comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript. This work was supported by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addictions Services.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Connecticut Mental Health Center and Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

    Jai L. Shah MD, FRCPC, Reena Kapoor MD, Robert Cole MHSA & Jeanne L. Steiner DO

Authors
  1. Jai L. Shah MD, FRCPC
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  2. Reena Kapoor MD
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  3. Robert Cole MHSA
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  4. Jeanne L. Steiner DO
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jai L. Shah MD, FRCPC.

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Shah, J.L., Kapoor, R., Cole, R. et al. Employee Health in the Mental Health Workplace: Clinical, Administrative, and Organizational Perspectives. J Behav Health Serv Res 43, 330–338 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-014-9428-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-014-9428-5

Keywords

  • Mental Health
  • Employee Health
  • Worksite Health Promotion
  • Malpractice Suit
  • Peer Support Service