Dive into Episode #122 of the Psych Health and Safety USA Podcast, featuring host Dr. I. David Daniels, PhD, CSD, VPS, and special guest Dr. Amir Rashidian, a chiropractor of over 20 years. Dr. Rishidian pulls back the curtain and establishes that chiropractic science is more than back and spinal alignment. Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to positively affect mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. By correcting misalignments in the spine, chiropractic care can improve nerve function, promoting better mental and emotional well-being. When the spine is aligned correctly, nerve signals can flow more freely, allowing the body to function optimally. Studies have shown that chiropractic adjustments can help regulate the release of stress hormones, such as cortisol, and increase the production of endorphins, which are natural mood enhancers. Additionally, chiropractic care has been found to improve sleep quality, which is crucial for maintaining good mental health.

Dive into Episode #121 of the Psych Health and Safety USA Podcast, featuring host Dr. I. David Daniels, PhD, CSD, VPS, and special guest Cipriano Belser, the Executive Director of the Southern California Council for Occupational Safety and Health (SoCalCOSH). Mr. Belser shares his experience as a low-wage worker who transitioned into Occupational Health and Safety and his role with SoCalCOSH, which advocates for the health and safety of workers who are exposed to a variety of psychosocial and physical hazards. Low-wage workers often face several safety issues that can significantly impact their health and well-being. One of the primary concerns is hazardous working conditions. Many low-wage jobs are in construction, agriculture, and food service industries, where workers are exposed to dangerous equipment, chemicals, and environments. Another critical issue is the need for proper training. Employers are required to provide adequate training on safety protocols, but they sometimes fail to do so, increasing the risk of accidents and injuries. Inadequate safety equipment is also a common problem. Workers might lack access to protective gear, such as gloves, helmets, or masks, which can lead to injuries or long-term health issues. These safety issues disproportionately impact vulnerable groups, including women, people of color, and immigrants. These groups are more likely to be in low-wage jobs and face these safety challenges at higher rates.

Dive into Episode #120 of the Psych Health and Safety USA Podcast, featuring host Dr. I. David Daniels, PhD, CSD, VPS, and special guest Rich Walsh, a Vice President with Amp Health, a business intelligence company that seeks to help the manufacturing sector with predictive approaches to minimize worker overexertion. Overexertion happens when you push your mind and/or body beyond its limits, resulting in fatigue, pain, and sometimes injury. It can be caused by physical or mental exertion and can occur in the workplace or your daily life: Physical overexertion can occur when lifting heavy objects, performing repetitive motions, or maintaining awkward postures. It can also be caused by working in extreme temperatures, such as hot environments that cause heat stress or cold environments that reduce blood flow. Mental overexertion, also known as mental exhaustion or mental fatigue, is a state of extreme tiredness that can affect your mood, focus, and decision-making skills. It can occur when your brain is overstimulated or maintains a high activity level without rest.

Dive into Episode #119 of the Psych Health and Safety USA Podcast, featuring host Dr. I. David Daniels, PhD, CSD, VPS, and special guest Dr. Andre Schaffer, MD, a former firefighter and now board-certified orthopedic surgeon. Many occupations are widely believed to be “dream jobs,” These dream jobs often inspire young people to seek to design their lives around the opportunity. Some occupations are so appealing that young people start doing the things necessary to get into a career or job early. Often, these early efforts pay off, and highly motivated young individuals end up in their dream jobs. However, not everything that glitters is gold. For any number of reasons, what may have been a dream changes. How do people respond when the dream is not as satisfying as expected? One option is to give up and descend into depression as a result of your dreams being dashed. Another option is to seek out an even greater challenge. In this podcast episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with someone who has lived the latter. After spending years preparing for one career and entering extremely young, he discovered that there was something that the first career did not satisfy, so he set off to do something that some may have believed impossible. Dr. Schaffer shares his journey from a high schooler interested in becoming a firefighter who decided that he wanted to do more. This desire led him to apply to Cornell Medical School and get accepted on the first try. All this even though he was, while smart, a below-average high school student and was living with ADHD. Dr. Schaffer now helps his patients not only recover physically but also on the road to a healthy mindset.

Dive into Episode #118 of the Psych Health and Safety USA Podcast, featuring host Dr. I. David Daniels, PhD, CSD, VPS, and special guest Dr. Jacob Kendall, discussing his experience dealing with chronic pain and advocating for his health using an interdisciplinary approach. Physical pain is your body’s way of letting you know something is wrong. It leads you to address ailments or seek treatment for injuries. However, there’s also a psychological aspect to pain. People who experience chronic pain are much more likely to develop mood and anxiety disorders. Persistent chronic pain can make you feel depressed and hopeless, leave you feeling anxious as you ruminate over your condition, or result in an addiction to pain medication. These feelings can then exacerbate the pain you’re experiencing. In this conversation, Dr. Kendall shares his lived experience advocating for his health through the complexities of the healthcare system and helping others advocate for themselves through an interdisciplinary approach driven by four-dimensional thinking.

Dive into Episode #117 of the Psych Health and Safety USA Podcast, featuring host Dr. I. David Daniels, PhD, CSD, VPS, and special guest Juli Nixon, who shares her story of survival and recovery from a toxic work environment. A toxic work culture is an organizational environment characterized by negativity, dysfunction, and a lack of trust. It can harm employees, preventing them from being productive and growing professionally. Some signs of a toxic work culture include: • Management expects employees to work longer hours without additional pay, fail to listen to employees, or lack accountability. • The organization may have unfair practices like biased promotions or rewards or tacitly reward unethical or harmful behavior. • There may be poor communication, limited communication, or a lack of healthy boundaries. • Employees may experience bullying, harassment, discrimination, micromanagement, or favoritism. They may also gossip, create drama, or take credit for the work of others. Juli’s story is recognizable to many and includes her path to recovery and her thoughts about how organizational cultures can be less toxic and individuals feel safer.

Dive into Episode #116 of the Psych Health and Safety USA Podcast, featuring host Dr. I. David Daniels, PhD, CSD, VPS, and special guest Mark Tuggle, an author and advocate for mental health in black men. Black men in the United States can face many challenges when seeking mental health help due to several factors, including: - The Black community has historically viewed mental illness as a sign of weakness or lack of faith. This stigma can make Black men feel ashamed or embarrassed to seek help and can lead to them not being open to discussing or acknowledging their mental health. - One study found that 63% of Black people believe that a mental health condition is a sign of personal weakness. The stigma can also be rooted in slavery when it was commonly thought that enslaved people were not sophisticated enough to develop mental health disorders. - Black men may also face barriers to mental health services due to poverty, racism, and implicit bias from medical providers. They are less likely than white people to receive guideline-consistent care or to be included in mental health research. As a result, Black men are more likely to use emergency rooms or primary care for mental health problems. Mark began in therapy in the mid-90s after being diagnosed with an illness that he feared would take his life. After years in therapy, he began to realize that his experience was not unique, and he believed that he could not only recover himself but he could use his experience to advocate for other black men in discussions about mental health.

Dive into Episode # 115 of the Psych Health and Safety USA Podcast, featuring host Dr. I. David Daniels, PhD, CSD, VPS, and special guest Michelle Beauchamp, the author of “Re-Learning Leadership. " Beauchamp discusses the value of inclusive leadership and the psychological and emotional safety by-products of inclusive leadership styles. Inclusive leadership is a management style that values and includes diverse perspectives and backgrounds in the workplace. It involves recognizing and appreciating differences in team members, such as those related to culture, gender, age, or sexual orientation. Inclusive leaders aim to create a safe environment where people feel comfortable speaking up and contributing and can handle situations in their way. They also seek to foster diverse teams and empower everyone to do their best work. Mrs. Beauchamp will share her experiences from her long career in both corporate and entrepreneurial efforts over her life.

Near-miss reporting is a vital part of any safety program. It involves identifying and tracking unplanned events that could have resulted in injury or death but didn't. Near misses can happen in any industry but are often not reported, often due to a lack of psychological safety for those in the systems themselves. This episode will discuss the importance of near-miss reporting in health care. Near-miss reporting in healthcare is vital for improving worker and patient safety. Near-miss events are errors that happen during medical care but don't injure the patient. Reporting near misses can help healthcare organizations identify areas for improvement, such as weaknesses in the delivery system, and prevent future adverse events. Ms. Raines emphasizes the importance of using near-miss reporting as a tool to prevent harm.

Dive into Episode #112 of the Psych Health and Safety USA Podcast, featuring host Dr. I. David Daniels, PhD, CSD, VPS, and special guest Derek Hanley, a veteran former field medic in both the military and post-military life who has become a photographer and was involved in the Honorable But Broken documentary. This episode is the second in a two-part series about the documentary, this time focusing on the experience of someone in the field during the time that the documentary was filmed. The goal of the documentary is to raise awareness of the systemic collapse of the nation’s Emergency Medical Service (EMS) system and advocate for change. Even more impactful than the story about the EMS system are the individual stories of the individual first responders, EMTs, and paramedics in the field. Mr. Hanley will share his unique perspective as a former provider in the field, documenting the day-to-day experiences of other EMS providers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dive into Episode #111 of the Psych Health and Safety USA Podcast, featuring host Dr. I. David Daniels, PhD, CSD, VPS, and special guest Bryony Gilbey, a former reporter who did stories for well-known programs such as 60 Minutes about a documentary that she has produced called "Honorable, But Broken," which takes a behind the scene look at the nation's emergency medical service system, including the challenges it creates for not only the communities that it serves but for the first responders, emergency medical technician and paramedics in the field. Emergency Medical Service (EMS) systems face several challenges that impact their ability to provide effective care, including: • Staffing: Recruitment and retention remain significant issues for most EMS agencies. • Funding and Billing • Response and Patient Care • Apparatus and Equipment Much of the documentary centers around EMS providers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It describes their challenges and highlights examples of what can and should be done to ensure that EMS pays attention to providers' concerns, which can result in better service to the public.

In episode 110, host Dr. I. David Daniels speaks with Cierra Gross, the Founder and CEO of Caged Bird HR. The company provides human resource expertise from outside organizations and a safe space for workers to get assistance when their experience is not what they want it to be. According to a 2023 survey, 34% of employees don't trust their HR manager and wouldn't approach them due to mistrust. Even among employees who trust HR, one in three say they don't feel comfortable bringing up workplace issues. Ms. Gross discusses Caged Bird’s unique approach, which includes one of the nation’s most extensive data sets regarding workplace experiences, and a sister brand, “Wrk Receipts,” which offers an AI assistant that helps workers document their work experiences.

In this episode, host Dr. I. David Daniels will speak with Dr. Leslie Hammer, Director at Oregon Healthy Workforce Center (OHWC), a veteran of over 30 years in Occupational Health Psychology. OHWC is one of ten Centers of Excellence for Total Worker Health. Dr. Hammer is also Associate Director of Applied Research at the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences and a Professor Emerita at Portland State University. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) funds 10 academic Centers of Excellence for Total Worker Health across the U.S. These centers serve as hubs for research and practice, advancing worker safety, health, and well-being. They explore job-related factors impacting well-being, such as wages, workload, stress levels, and social interactions. Dr. Hammer’s research and work have focused on a healthy balance between work and home. Recently, they have focused on the degree to which leadership can support not only work-life harmony but also physical health and safety, psychological health and safety, and overall mental health.

Dive into Episode #108 of the Psych Health and Safety USA Podcast, featuring host Dr. I. David Daniels, PhD, CSD, VPS, and special guests Chrisie Tyson, a Wellness Professional, and Victor Lawe, an Occupational Health and Safety professional, who both work in a local government organization. In 2022, state and local public sector employers reported a combined injury rate of 4.9 per 100 workers, 81% higher than the private sector's reported rate of 2.7 per 100 workers. The OSH Act was written based on congressional authority to regulate interstate commerce. State and local governments are exempt under the 10th Amendment of the Constitution except in the case of a specific state law. 27 states and territories have passed these state plans. When Safety and Wellness professionals in local government can focus on the health and safety of public sector workers, this has a dual benefit, for both the workers and the public depend on the government for services.

Dive into Episode #107 of the Psych Health and Safety USA Podcast, featuring host Dr. I. David Daniels, PhD, CSD, VPS, and special guest Dr. Jermaine Hunter, an Occupational Safety and Risk Manager, who administers a grant funded by OSHA to provide basic safety-related training to primarily young workers, and workers with disabilities. In 2022, Travelers, the largest workers’ compensation insurer in the United States, released a 2022 Injury Impact Report that analyzed more than 1.5 million workers’ compensation claims over five years from 2015 to 2019. The study revealed that 35% of workplace injuries occur during a worker’s first year on the job, highlighting the importance of comprehensive onboarding and training programs for employees, especially in the pandemic era when there has been considerable movement in the labor market. New workers are often exposed to both psychosocial and physical hazards because they don’t know how to recognize either. Over the four years of the grant, Dr. Hunter and his team have provided approximately 3,500 students with basic safety training, many before they graduate high school, arming them to work physically and psychologically safer when they enter the workforce.

In this episode, host Dr. I. David Daniels speaks with Mohamed Hassan, a season OHS professional who recently immigrated to the United States from Canada, about some considerations in ensuring the workplace is psychologically healthy and safe for a Muslim worker. As of April 30, 2024, there are over 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide, about 24.9% of the global population. Islam is the world's second-largest religion after Christianity, with 31.1% of the population. Muslims are the majority in 49 countries, come from diverse ethnic backgrounds, and speak hundreds of languages. Estimates of the number of Muslims in the United States range from 2–7 million people, which is roughly 1–2% of the population. Mohamed will discuss some of his challenges and some thoughts about how the working environment can be safe for everyone, including those who share his faith tradition.

In the episode, host Dr. I. David Daniels will speak with Dr. Robyn Faintich of Jewish GPS about some of the considerations for creating a psychologically healthy and safe space for someone Jewish. According to a 2020 Pew Research Center study, the Jewish population in the United States was estimated to be 7.5 million, 2.5% of the national population. This includes: • 5.8 million adults who identify as Jewish by religion • 1.5 million Jews who identify with no religion The study also found that Jewish adults are geographically distributed: 38% live in the Northeast, 27% live in the South, 25% live in the West, and 10% live in the Midwest. It can be a matter of religion, and for religious purposes, being Jewish is traditionally defined as being born to a Jewish mother. But being Jewish can also be a matter of ancestry, ethnicity, and culture. Jewish people are not monolithic, but those who seek to create psychologically healthy and safe spaces for Jewish people will learn a tremendous amount from Dr. Faintich's scholarship and her lived experience.

In this episode, host Dr. I. David Daniels speaks with Fire Chief Joe Dixon, who serves as chair of the Black Chief Officer’s Committee (BCOC) of the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters (IABPFF), about his experience as a Fire Chief who also happens to be black, including the challenges associated with the role that is sometimes complicated by being black in a fairly homogenous occupation. The best estimate for the number of fire departments in the United States is 29,452. 65% of the fire service is volunteer. For the leadership of the service: There are over 22,316 fire chiefs currently employed in the United States. 5.8% of all fire chiefs are women, while 94.2% are men. The average fire chief age is 48 years old. Demographically, 76.8% of fire chiefs are White, 8.2% are Hispanic or Latino, and only 5.8% are Black. It is not hyperbole to suggest that black fire chiefs are a rare commodity in the United States. It is also not a stretch to suggest that a black fire chief has a lot to deal with, both physically and psychologically. Not only are there stresses associated with fire rescue, but also the leadership challenges of a public sector leader and the issues associated with being back in the fire chief role. Chief Dixon will discuss some of the overarching challenges faced by the fire rescue services, fire chiefs, and black fire chiefs, which are at times unique from their colleagues, ultimately emphasizing the importance of a support system like the one found in the BCOC.

In this episode, host Dr. I. David Daniels will speak with Boston Marathon Bombing Suvusior Manya Chylinski, who has become a speaker and consultant to help organizations utilize “Trauma Sensitive Leadership “ practices. According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, 70% of adults in the United States have experienced a traumatic event at some point in their lives, equivalent to 223.4 million people. A traumatic event is defined as an event that threatens a person's physical safety or the safety of another person and leaves the victim feeling intense fear or helplessness. Some examples of traumatic events include: Accidents or injuries Physical violence Sexual violence War-related events The death of a loved one Serious illness of a child Conversations and actions to establish psychological safety in organizations have become more common, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. It is increasingly common to hear organizations say they welcome people to bring their “whole selves” to work. This also means that people’s trauma comes with them. Ms. Chylinski has learned through her own process of healing from the trauma of the bombing that many organizations don’t recognize the fact that a significant number of the members of these organizations have been traumatized at some point in their lives. Recognizing this trauma and sensitizing the organization is key to a safer, healthier, and more well organization.

In this episode, host Dr. I. David Daniels speaks with Kimberly Williams, a former diplomat in the U. S. Foreign Service turned Human Resources Executive, whose experience of abusive behavior while serving in HR fuels her advocacy for the passage of laws that will make the workplace more psychologically healthy and safe. A surprisingly high percentage of HR professionals are exposed to psychosocial hazards in the workplace. A common example is “undermining professional integrity,” which means HR professionals are made to feel inept in their jobs or have employees or colleagues go over their heads to get a decision made higher up. This can cause a severe confidence crisis for the professional. HR professionals are also sometimes bullied by an employee with whom they were involved in an HR issue, which suggests that there needs to be a change in culture or attitude towards the role HR professionals play in organizations. Others were being bullied or harassed by their immediate line manager, which limited how they dealt with the issue as they had to bypass their manager. Some of those bullied by their manager dealt with it by doing nothing and ignoring the issue, as they felt they couldn’t do anything due to the nature of the working relationship and the seniority of the bully. Kim’s work in this space has not only helped others seeking solace from their workplace-related abuse, but it has also inspired her daughter as a teenager to pick up the mantle in both her school and the broader community to advocate for psychologically healthy places and spaces.

In this episode, host Dr. I. David Daniels speaks with Danielle Roberts, a consultant, speaker, entrepreneur, content creator, and millennial leader with 12+ years of experience educating and empowering others personally and professionally. She is certified in Life Design and applies research-backed principles in psychology, neuroscience, and design thinking to help individuals, groups, and organizations build more humanness into their work cultures. In 2024, four generations will be active in the workplace: · Baby Boomers—born 1946 to 1964 · Generation X—born 1965 to 1980 · Millennials—born 1981 to 2000 · Generation Z—born 2001 to 2020 According to Glassdoor, Gen Z will account for more of the U.S. workforce than Baby Boomers for the first time in 2024. This is due to the Baby Boomer generation reaching retirement age and Gen Z entering the workforce after graduating. According to Forbes Business Council, Generation Z and millennials are rewriting the workplace rules, becoming more inclusive, open-minded, and independent than previous generations. They are also less materialistic and value happiness and fulfillment over financial compensation. Another growing view is that work should be “human-first” centered. A human-first approach prioritizes individuals' needs and experiences above all else. It's also known as user-first, user-focused, people-centric, and human-centered. Danielle believes in this approach and helps others understand it. Through her own experience of looking for the “Dream Job” that didn’t exist, Danielle has been able to experience and now help others see that an “Anti-Career” can be much more fulfilling than following normal convention.

In this special 100th episode of the Psych Health & Safety USA Podcast, Dr I. David Daniels is interviewed by Wade Needham, live at The Psych Health and Safety Conference in Sydney. Dr. Daniels discusses practical strategies for leaders to foster an inclusive environment. He emphasizes the challenges and benefits of diverse teams, highlighting actionable steps to enhance the leadership approach and promote a culture of belonging. Insights on acknowledging and embracing differences, leveraging diverse experiences for innovation, and real-world examples provide valuable guidance for creating a cohesive and high-performing team.

In Episode 99, host Dr. I. David Daniels speaks with Kevin Baker, a consultant in numerous disciplines, including Education, Educational Leadership, Mental Health, Community Policing, and Race and Social Justice. Kevin’s areas of expertise include Racial Equity, Inclusion and Diversity, Cultural Responsiveness, Trauma-Informed Care, Historical Trauma, Trans-generational Trauma, Unconscious/Implicit Bias, and Power and Privilege. The state of workplace mental health has shifted substantially in the past few years, accelerated by the global pandemic, racial justice reckoning, and other significant challenges. Since then, some organizations have made substantial gains by providing expanded benefits, meditation apps, mindfulness programs, mental health days, and awareness campaigns. However, these investments alone aren’t enough. It's said that “culture eats strategy for breakfast,” and underlying cultures in organizations are at the heart of a practical approach to the psychological health and safety of those in the culture. In this episode, we have the pleasure of chatting with someone who works with organizations and addresses culture from various perspectives. Kevin will take us on a deep dive into a conversation about culture and the ways in which both simple and complex trauma can affect an organization's culture.

In episode 98, host Dr. I. David Daniels will speak with Joseph Blackman, founder of Vitendo Training Solutions and host of the Public Works Podcast, about psychological health and safety in public works. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), is the largest long-term investment in the US economy and infrastructure in history. From 2022 to 2026, the law provides $550 billion in federal investment in roads, bridges, mass transit, water infrastructure, resilience, and broadband. Though many of these projects will be managed by private-sector construction companies, others will be managed by public-sector public works departments. Depending on the jurisdiction, the attention to and expertise in safety varies. Increased investment in public infrastructure will also increase the potential for exposure of workers to both physical and psychological hazards. One of the important components to reducing the stress associated with this work could be addressed by more effective training. This episode is a continuing conversation from an episode of the Public Works Podcast.

In Episode 97, host Dr. I. David Daniels will speak with Daniel Kraus, a veteran, former law enforcement officer turned emergency management professional, disaster responder, and consultant who works with multiple school districts in the State of Oregon on “trauma-informed” emergency preparedness. According to a 2023 survey by the EdWeek Research Center, 66% of teachers feel safe at work, which is lower than the 83% of principals and 88% of district leaders who feel safe. Additionally, 46% of teachers who responded to the survey said their sense of safety has decreased since 2019, compared to 36% of principals and 26% of district leaders. Some of the factors that help teachers feel safe include: · Secure physical space · Discretionary alarms · Training · Mental health support · Emotional intelligence · Respectful communication · Teacher autonomy Emergency management in schools, also known as crisis management, is a school's approach to safety that focuses on identifying, addressing, and resolving crises. Notes from the Episode: Mazama Consulting LLC [email protected] Contact Info for Dan: (503) 318-4441 Sammy and Friends: https://www.sammyandfriends.com/

In episode 96, host Dr. I. David Daniels speaks with Dr. Heliana Ramirez about the “Workplace Battle Fatigue” of workers in toxic workplaces. Workplaces with chronic exposure to psychosocial hazards can be not only psychological but also physically harmful to those exposed. A toxic workplace is one where workers feel psychologically unsafe, disrespected, or threatened. It can include negative behaviors such as bullying, harassment, discrimination, and unethical behavior. Toxic work environments can also lead to burnout, health issues, decreased productivity, and high turnover rates. Those in toxic work environments may experience anxiety, depression, and stress and may take more time off or, in some cases, leave the organization either voluntarily or involuntarily. Dr. Ramirez will share not only her expertise regarding toxic workplaces but also the actual damage these workplaces can cause, particularly to members of marginalized populations.

Episode 95 features a conversation between host Dr. I. David Daniels and Mark-Anthony Williams, a working safety professional, safety consultant, and podcaster about “Safety in the Real World.” One important reason for this podcast is to facilitate conversation about psychological health and safety from an occupational health and safety viewpoint and perspective. One way we do this is to chat with folks who understand physical health and safety and translate that knowledge into addressing psychosocial hazards. Issues related to stress, burnout, and overall workplace mental health are concepts that have traditionally landed on the desks of human resources staff. Recently, there has been a realization that hazards we can’t always see are, in most cases, at the root of incidents that result in physical harm or damage. In these situations, an environment or occupational health and safety professional is likely to be involved early on in both the conversation before and actions after an incident. The same skills used to address physical hazards can be utilized when addressing psychosocial hazards. This episode was filmed from Mark Anthony’s car after a work day. His approach to safety (both physical and psychological) is very practical and down-to-earth but exceptionally technically sound.

In this episode, host Dr. I. David Daniels will speak with Suzi Craig, VP of Workplace Mental Health at Mental Health America, about Mental Health America's (MHA) Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health. This national certification program recognizes employers committed to creating mentally healthy workplaces. The program recognizes workplaces that lead the way in improving employee mental health and well-being. Bell Seal recipients receive a promotion toolkit to announce their certification to employees, clients, customers, and the communities they serve. Ms. Craig will share her views on mental health in the workplace, some of MHA's history, and a bit about the criteria used to determine the viability of workplace mental health efforts in organizations that apply.

This week, host Dr. I. David Daniels will speak to Torin Monet, a management consultant who has studied the data associated with psychologically unhealthy workplaces and made a profound business case for psychological health and safety. There is a significant amount of data to suggest the United States is destroying innovation, productivity, and productivity through emotional and psychological abuse in the workplace. - The US is #1 among developed nations for workplace stress, anxiety disorders, psychopathy, antisocial personality disorder, homicide, and suicide - 70% of US adults, approximately 223.5 million people, have experienced psychological trauma, increasing their sensitivity to workplace abuse and subsequent mental health disorders - 30% of American workers (46.8 million people) are victims of psychological abuse, leading to anxiety, depression, PTSD, and the spread of sociopathy - Year-on-year increase in workplace toxicity and harassment is evident, with 22% of workers saying they were subject to workplace psychological abuse in the last 12 months compared to 14% in 2022 Torin argues that a clear set of business data points supports the value of a psychologically safe and healthy workplace as a business imperative.

This week, host Dr. I. David Daniels speaks with Laynnea Myles and Dr. Francene Scott-Diehl, the hosts of the SHE Unfiltered podcast, about their views on Safety, Health, and Environmental topics, including the role SHE professionals play in addressing psychological health and safety. The occupational health and safety professional is, for the most part, a traditional industry with its standards, practices, and views of what is required to create a safe workplace. The views of men have been the foundation of workplace safety standards. However, new voices have emerged with unique approaches to addressing safety that sound and look different. Laynnea and Dr. Fran started their podcast in 2023 and regularly share their views of the safety profession and topics in safety that need to be discussed but are often not.

In this episode, host Dr. I. David Daniels speaks with Dr. S. L. Young, an educator, social entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and mental health advocate whose lived experience has led him to become a voice for psychologically safer workplaces. He has turned his experience of nearly ending his own life a decade ago after a series of events that included being exposed to bullying and abuse at work, as motivation to advocate for a law that will make the workplace more psychologically healthy and safe. Dr. Young’s passion for helping others is based on his ability to excel academically and professionally despite being encouraged to leave high school in tenth grade. In addition to completing his doctorate, Dr. Young completed two master's degrees. The topics of his nine books about overcoming challenges and living a purposeful life include belief, overcoming challenges, inspirational quotes, ethics, communication, living with intention, time management, negotiation, and workplace bullying.

In episode 90, host Dr. I. David Daniels speaks with Brian Turnage, owner and founder of Mental Edge Performance, a business focused on improving the mental performance of athletes in baseball as well as other competitive sports. He also translates these skills into organizations by connecting competition, business, coaching, and leadership. This episode is being released at the beginning of the season of a sport called “America’s Pastime.” Baseball, like other competitive sports, requires: Strong physical strength and hand-eye coordination are essential for batting and pitching. Players should also be strong sprinters with the agility to move quickly between bases. A great player can consistently hit the ball with power and accuracy and field the ball cleanly and accurately. Baseball players also need mental agility, mental toughness, a fast reaction time, and a good understanding of the game. Many learn how to compete, how to win, and even how to lose in competitive sports. But even more important than physical skills, the mental aspect of sports can follow a person into their professional life. It can tremendously affect how they perceive and experience the work environment. Taking his background as an athlete and former firefighter, Brian works with athletes, business leaders, government officials, and others to convert their focus on winning into a focus on performance. This focus on the mental side of performance can be a key to establishing, maintaining, and thriving in, a psychologically healthy and safe environment.

In episode 89, host Dr. I. David Daniels will speak with Dr. Enoh Ukpong, a professor of Nursing who immigrated to the United States from Nigeria. She will share a bit of her lived experience of surviving child abuse at the hands of a family member before deciding to come to the U. S. to pursue education as a way out of those circumstances. Though she had never been on an airplane or used a telephone before her arrival, she worked through her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She worked her way to the highest levels of the healthcare industry before becoming an educator. Dr. Ukpong’s story helps shed light on the experience of those attempting to operate in systems, organizations, and even communities that were not designed with their psychological or emotional needs in mind and how various coping strategies, including one’s faith, can help a person succeed despite the trails and challenges that they face.

In episode 88, host Dr. I. David Daniels will speak with Rima Seiilova-Olson, a software engineer, founder, and CEO of Tenvos. This technology company is developing an objective software-based solution to monitor the well-being of workers by objectively identifying impairment. The World Health Organization defines impairment as “any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure or function.” However, impairment to many employers leads them to assume that there is a need to implement a drug or alcohol test on a worker, especially in the aftermath of an injury or property damage incident. Through years of research, Ms. Seiilova-Olson and her team have developed a solution that uses a person’s voice to evaluate their emotional and mental state compared to an individual baseline and determine impairment before assigning people to work that will expose them to hazards that could be harmful. The goal is to evaluate the human “operating system” more objectively and to determine the existence of impairment in a proactive but not intentionally punitive way.

In Episode 84, host Dr. I. David Daniels speaks with Dr. Andrea Holman about the concept of “Cultural Mistrust.” Cultural mistrust is a feeling of suspicion toward people from a culture that is perceived as dominant. It can be caused by the lived experience of being treated in a way that the target of the behavior perceives as threatening or harmful. Cultural mistrust can also be described as the tendency to distrust others in personal, institutional, or social contexts. Most of the research into this concept has focused on Cultural mistrust as an adaptive attitudinal stance in which a person of color is suspicious and guarded toward European Americans, particularly European American authority figures. It is adaptive in that if one accepts the contention that the current social paradigm is inherently racist, then a person of color cannot assume that a European American person has his or her best interests at heart. This attitudinal stance was first described in William Grier and Price Cobbs’s classic book, Black Rage. Grier and Cobbs called this survivalist stance cultural paranoia. Many writers later changed the term to cultural mistrust to emphasize that it is an adaptive strategy rather than a form of psychopathology. Dr. Holman researched the concept and utilized what she learned as an academic, psychologist, and DEIB Senior Manager. In this conversation, she shares her understanding of the concept and her thoughts about how it impacts how people show up at work and how the workplace can be designed and managed as a safe place and space for all.

This week, host Dr. I. David Daniels will speak with Dr. Lili Tenney, the associate director for outreach and programs at the Center for Health, Work & Environment and an assistant professor at the Colorado School of Public Health, where she teaches graduate courses in the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health. She is also president of the Society for Total Worker Health. The origins of TWH can be traced back to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initiative called “Steps to a Healthier US”. In 2014, NIOSH created the Office for TWH Coordination and Research Support (Office for TWH) to coordinate and advance these efforts. The comprehensive nature of Total Worker Health (TWH) approaches requires innovative thinking to design and inform current policies, programs, and practices that advance worker well-being. NIOSH funds ten academic Centers of Excellence for Total Worker Health to inspire innovation in the field. One of these centers is located at the Colorado School of Public Health. The school is built on the collective expertise and vision of faculty at three leading educational and research institutions: the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, and the University of Northern Colorado. The Center for Work, Health, and Environment focuses on research, education, and practice. In this episode, Dr. Tenny will share her view on the concept of Total Worker health and share some of the work on-going at the Center for Health Work & Environment.

In Episode 85, host Dr. I. David Daniels will speak with Dr. Mercedes Jiminez, a former corporate IT executive turned consultant, author, and founder of the Corporate Clapback Company. She regularly shares the combination of her lived experience, observations, and the stories she hears from her over 260,000 followers on her TickTok channel about corporate America's unwritten rules” of corporate America and how best to navigate them. Her videos have received over 2.5 million likes. One of the most challenging concerns about organizations' psychological health and safety culture is the gap between what is advertised as the culture and publicized as the rules and the reality people find once they get inside the organization. In many cases, the rules as advertised don’t match the rules as implemented. Dr. Jiminez is a part of a growing course of voices seeking to help people navigate what can be a minefield of potential psychosocial risks.

The week host, Dr. I. David Daniels, will speak with Amanda Muhammad, a mindfulness-based stress management and psychological safety consultant based in Plano, Texas. Ananda has built a consulting practice focused on the intersection and “bi—directional” relationship between stress management and psychological safety. With roots in the field of stress management, including several practices such as journaling, gratefulness, breathing, and other techniques, combined with a research-based focus on psychological safety, she has been designated a “LinkedIn Top Voice” who has a significant following across multiple platforms, both nationally and internationally.

This week, host Dr. I. David Daniels will speak with Trenell Boggans, the immediate past president of the American Industrial Hygiene Association‘s Minority Special Interest Group, about an industrial hygienist’s view of psychosocial hazards. Industrial hygiene is the science of identifying, evaluating, and controlling workplace hazards that can impact the health and safety of workers and the community. It's also known as occupational hygiene. Industrial hygienists use various methods, including environmental monitoring, workplace analysis, and scientific methods. Industrial hygiene standards include: · Proper handling, transportation, and storage of substances and equipment · Protective clothing · Workplace ergonomics · Ventilation design This episode will spotlight an industrial hygienist's role in ensuring the safety of workers in the workplace and the community at large. This conversation will also focus on psychosocial hazards from the view of a relatively new member of the IH profession.

This week's host, Dr. I. David Daniels, will speak with human resource professional Brandon Springle about the role of psychological safety as a strategy for development and success for both individuals and organizations. Bradon will also highlight the importance of focusing on the humans in the organization, which can be beneficial for both the individual and the organization alike. A culture of psychological health and safety can create an environment that encourages people to share their ideas and feedback without fear of judgment. This can lead to collaboration, creativity, growth, authentic communication, constructive feedback, and learning from mistakes. Conversely, a culture where people are discouraged from sharing their ideas and fearful of judgment or other potential negative consequences of being themselves makes it difficult for them to experience success. There is perhaps no function in an organization more important than addressing all aspects of member success than human resources, which will be the focus of this conversation.

This week, host Dr. I. David Daniels speaks with Janet Williams, host of “The Dementia Diaries” podcast, about her experience as a caregiver and what she learned and now attempt to share with other regarding the mindset necessary to be effective in the role. This is an inspiring story of what it is like to be in a flexible working culture while being responsible for caregiving. An informal caregiver—is an unpaid individual (for example, a spouse, partner, family member, friend, or neighbor) involved in assisting others with activities of daily living and/or medical tasks. Formal caregivers are paid care providers in one’s home or a care setting (daycare, residential facility, long-term care facility). · Approximately 43.5 million caregivers have provided unpaid care to an adult or child in the last 12 months. · About 34.2 million Americans have provided unpaid care to an adult age 50 or older in the last 12 months. · The majority of caregivers (82%) care for one other adult, while 15% care for two adults and 3% for 3 or more adults. · Approximately 39.8 million caregivers care for adults (aged 18+) with a disability or illness. · About 15.7 million adult family caregivers care for someone who has Alzheimer’s disease or other form of dementia. These data points suggest that many workplaces have people who have either informal or formal caregiving roles. How can the workplace be aware of and support these efforts?

In our last episode, we discussed some of the protections and inadequacies of our current laws to protect the psychological health and safety of American Workers. In the episode, host Dr. I. David Daniels will talk with Deb Falzoi, founder of “Dignity Together” cofounder of “End Work Abuse, and one of the leaders of the effort to end abusive behavior in the workplace through various efforts, including the establishment of the Workplace Psychological Safety Act. Ms. Falzoi has been actively involved in this work since her own experience of workplace bullying in the marketing industry over 15 years ago. She has recently been leading efforts to pass. Bill H 1882 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts would be one of the first state-level legislative efforts focused on psychological safety in the United States.

This week, host Dr. I. David Daniels will speak with Sheri Oluyemi, Esq, a practicing employment law attorney who began her practice in Canada but now practices out of offices in the State of Georgia. Throughout the history of the United States, labor-related laws have created protections from some of the exploitation commonplace at the founding of the country, and many of those protections remain in place today. However, there are still limits to what the law can do. This is especially true as it relates to protection from psychosocial harm. While microaggressions, overt insults, low-level incivility, hazing, and bullying may not be illegal, when these types of behaviors form a pattern that can be proven as discriminatory toward a protected class or a person engaged in protected class activity based on federal, state, or local laws, these very same behaviors may be deemed illegal in either a civil or criminal court. On the other hand, there are limits to what the law can do, based on the time it will take to process the claim and the energy it will take to work through the administrative and legal processes. Ms. Oluyemi will discuss various topics related to employment law from both the employer's and the employee's perspectives as she represents both. She also provides “breaking news” regarding a recent development that may change how federal agencies view psychosocial hazards such as bullying and harassment.

During this episode, host Dr. I. David Daniels will speak with Dr. Dennis Stolle of the American Psychological Association (APA) regarding the 2023 Work in America Survey to get a sense of the “state of psychological health and safety in the American workplace.” In October 2022, the U.S. Surgeon General released the office’s first-ever Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being. The APA’s Work in America Survey was recently revised to consider the framework and add to their decades-long pursuit of data relative to workplace mental health in the United States. The survey results confirmed that psychological well-being is a very high priority for workers themselves.

THIS IS A REPLAY OF EPISODE #24 This week's guest, Georgia Bryce-Hutchinson, was educated and trained as an environmental engineer when her lived experience in the workplace motivated her to understand better how the workplace was causing her to feel. This exploration led her to become certified as a Marriage and Family Therapist and Mental Health Consultant. She is also a speaker and author of "On Your Way to Meeting You: The Journey That Changes Everything" and owner of Building Families According to Pattern, LLC. Georgia combines her ability to think logically with her passion for robust mental health as a motivator to help individuals and families in her clinical practice, including those exposed to psychosocial hazards at work. She has also recently begun to focus on helping large organizations address mental health through training and consulting efforts. She believes that "you can not separate the person from the worker," and the work environment should be a place that facilitates growth rather than harm. In this episode, she'll share her thoughts with host Dr. I. David Daniels on why "Work Shouldn't Hurt Emotionally."

THIS IS A REPLAY OF EPISODE #4 Dr. Namie will discuss his journey as a workplace bullying researcher and advocate over the past 25 years and his efforts to change the nature of work through the adoption of the Healthy Workplace Bill. From his experience of vicarious exposure to his wife’s experience of bullying, through their formation of an organization to train and develop anti-bullying advocates across the United States, supporting bullying targets and consulting with organizations, unions, and leadership groups as well as serving as an expert witness. Dr. Namie, his wife Dr. Ruth Namie, and the Workplace Bullying Institute have been pursuing healthier workplaces for years. He will discuss a number of important concepts that are essential in establishing a psychologically healthy and safe environment.

The week host, Dr. I. David Daniels, will speak with Aurora Higgs, a self-described “queer Black trans visionary, who’s a speaker, performer, and media producer that uses her platform to promote equity and elevate queer BIPOC voices” about their lived experience overcoming and helping others, especially those in the LGBTQIA+ community overcome barriers to psychological safety and exposure to psychosocial hazards. According to McKinsey: · Transgender adults are twice as likely as cisgender adults to be unemployed. · Cisgender employees make 32 percent more money a year than transgender employees, even when the latter have similar or higher education levels. · More than half of transgender employees say they are not comfortable being out at work. Two-thirds remain in the closet in professional interactions outside their own companies. · People who identify as transgender feel far less supported in the workplace than their cisgender colleagues do. They report that it’s more challenging to understand workplace culture and benefits and harder to get promoted. They also feel less supported by their managers. In this episode, we’re going to have a conversation with someone who can speak to these and other questions relative to psychological health and safety for of folks that are sometimes left out of traditional conversations about safety of any kind.

This week, host Dr. I. David Daniels speaks with Dr. Virginia Heslinga, a wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, and now author, about her memoir, “Grace Interlaced.” While psychological health and safety is an active endeavor, parts of this effort require us to consider the past. In the workplace, an expectation that people be able to bring their whole selves is commendable and vital. However, each of us has parts of our whole self that are different, challenging, and sometimes even traumatic. In Dr. Heslinga’s case, a significant event in her childhood that she had locked away from an emotional perspective subconsciously influenced many of her life decisions, including her choice of a profession and how she interacted with others. Awaken by a series of events, including the pandemic, she began to write a memoir that she is now sharing with the world.

In this holiday episode, Dr. I. David Daniels will discuss psychological health and safety with members of his actual family. This “family chat” will involve his youngest sister (Kolesta Moore), his youngest son (Bryan Daniels), and his brother (the creator of the podcast theme music)’s youngest daughter (Iman Burks). As families in the U. S. gather for food and drink over the holiday season, they bring their mental and emotional health with them, which manifests in their conversations and actions. While the meal is being prepared, during the football game or shopping trip for the holiday sale, conversation about work often creeps into the discussions. The conversation will be familiar to families in every community. Family members are often the first people in a worker’s life to share their psychosocial hazard exposure experience. It is also where they seek and give advice about what to do. This candid, wide-ranging conversation will touch on the family's view of work, some of the challenges, and the view of what a great work environment should look and feel like.