Resources that may be useful can be found at:

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety – http://www.ccohs.ca/resources/

Canadian Mental Health Association – www.cmha.ca

Centre for Mental Health and Addiction – www.safe-workplaces.ca

Employee Assistance Association of North America – http://www.easna.org/publications-research-notes/

Guarding Minds at Work – www.guardingmindsatwork.ca

Health Canada – http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/occup-travail/index-eng.php#work

Workplace Strategies for Mental Health – www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com (This includes Managing Mental Health Matters, Working Through It, Evaluating Workplace Programs and more.)

Mental Health Works – www.mentalhealthworks.ca

Mental Health First Aid – www.mentalhealthfirstaid.ca

A Leadership Framework for Advancing Workplace Mental Health – www.mhccleadership.ca

Following are some ideas that could maximize your EAP's responsiveness to mental health related issues:

The method of counselling offered should suit the individual's preference and include a choice of face-to-face, e-counselling, telephone counselling and group sessions
Stay at work services – include the ability to intervene before someone is off work – solve performance and/or conflict issues
Education and information sessions related to workplace mental health – for management and employees – some organizations request up to 100 hours per year included, but to be effective there must be incentive for employees to attend
Psychiatric triage – include assessment or referral for assessment when mental illness is suspected and link to relevant and credible resources
Continuity of therapeutic care – allowing employees to continue to contract with a specific EAP provider after the allotted sessions by paying through other benefit amounts or out of pocket. It is important to have safeguards to ensure this is done for the benefit of the employee and not the provider.

Request that your EAP counsellors become knowledgeable about community resources and can refer people where appropriate
Request that EAP provide a list of relevant community resources for employees
Ensure EAP providers have a minimum standard of qualification and use evidence-based approaches (e.g., MSW or psychologist)
Request that a percentage norm be established for overall EAP usage and that no charges be incurred for over-usage within the contract duration. This is intended to help with budgeting and so that the organization will encourage more users to get the help needed.
Ensure there is a service that directs employees to the most appropriate provider (e.g., addiction, couples counselling and eating disorders require different expertise)

Participants of the Roundtable

Mary Ann Baynton, Program Director, Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace
Dan Bilsker, Adjunct Professor, COMH, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
Patti Boucher, Vice President, Health and Safety Association for Government Services
Richard Boughen, Director General Occupational Health and Safety Branch, RCMP
Arnie Cader, President, Delphi Corporation
Romie Christie, Manager, Opening Minds, Mental Health Commission of Canada
Ellen Coe, President, Canadian Occupational Health Nurses Association
Janet Crowe, Director, Wellness and Work Life Solutions, Telus
Richard Dixon, VP and Human Resources Officer, NAV Canada
Winnie Doyle, Vice President, St. Joseph's Health Care
Roberta Ellis, Senior VP of Worker and Employer Services, WorkSafe BC
Peter Farvolden, Clinical Director, CBT Associates
Kathy GermAnn, Workplace/Workforce Policy Analyst, Mental Health Commission of Canada
Merv Gilbert, Principal, Gilbert Acton Consulting
Nina Hansen, Occupational Health & Safety Director, BC Federation of Labour
Michael Howlett, Manager - Governance, Health and Industrial Hygiene, Community, Safety and Environment TransCanada
Steve Jackson, Vice President, Human Resources, Ontario Workplace Safety & Insurance Board
Susan Jakobson, Volunteer - Workforce Advisory Committee, Mental Health Commission of Canada
Patrica Janzen, Partner, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Nancy Johnson, Provincial Specialist for Health and Safety, Ontario Nurse's Association

Michael Koscec, President, Entec Corporation
Jim Laliberte, Public Transportation, CAW-Canada
François Legault, National Director, Employee Assistance Services Bureau, Health Canada
Estelle Lo, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, S.U.C.C.E.S.S
Liliana Mastromonaco, HR Advisor, City of Calgary
Edward (Ted) Ormston, Chair, Mental Health and Law Committee, Mental Health Commission of Canada
Mike Pietrus, Director, Opening Minds, Mental Health Commission of Canada
Geoffrey Pradella, Vice President, Public and Government Affairs, Calgary Chamber of Commerce
Joti Samra, Adjunct Professor and Scientist COMH, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
David Satok, Medical Advisor, Rogers Communication Inc.
Mike Schwartz, Executive Director, Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace
Martin Shain, Principal, Neighbour @ Work Centre
Maureen Shaw, Consultant Act Three
Catherine Skinner, Legal Counsel,
Great-West Life
Nancy Snowball, Workforce Program Manager, Opening Minds, Mental Health Commission of Canada
Karleena Suppiah, Communication Specialist, Mental Health Commission of Canada
Margaret Tebbutt, Senior Consultant, Workplace Initiatives CMHA - BC Division
Ian Thompson, National Rep, CUPE
Ingrid Wellmeier, Manager, Mental Health Promotion Unit, Healthy Communities Division, Public Health Agency of Canada
Norma Wood, Director, Workplace Health & Safety, Corporate Health and Wellness, Alberta Health Services