Fall 2018 Archives

woman sitting in front of a laptop holding her head

Overcoming barriers to returning to work after a mental-health leave

November 9, 2018By Lindsay

Career development practitioners can work alongside health professionals to help clients consider all possible return-to-work options during their recovery

By Dr Marie-Helene Pelletier

The facts are clear: mental-health issues represent on average more than 30% of long-term disability (LTD) claims (Mental Health Commission of Canada), with half of those claims for depression (Sun Life Financial). It is no surprise that career development and health professionals are bound to be working at some point with individuals off work due to a mental-health issue.

Whether I’m speaking with professionals who support people on leave, or individuals off work because of a mental-health issue, three barriers to a return to work consistently emerge. Here’s a quick overview of each – and how they can be overcome.

Barrier #1 – I can’t picture myself going back to work at all

I hear this in my office regularly – and it’s not surprising, given how the cloud of depression can influence our thoughts. My answer is a simple one: advise your client to focus first on their return to good mental health. Your client’s health professional will have their return to work in mind from the beginning and will help them move in that direction. One of an individual’s key accountabilities while on leave is to seek treatment and take an active role in it. So, if they’re seeing a psychologist, a physician and accessing other resources as needed, they’re on the right track. The details of their return to work will emerge as recovery gets closer.

Barrier #2 – I’m not sure I can return to optimum health

Leave optimum health aside and focus on a return to simple, everyday functioning where a return to the workplace in some capacity is possible. Insurance carriers work hard with health professionals to keep individuals focused on a return to work (as opposed to working on everything that could be optimized). Small steps can eventually lead to big gains and a return to pre-disability performance.

Barrier #3 – I’m not sure I can handle my old job

The truth is that there are many paths available to individuals, and only one of them is a return to their full-time job, typically with a gradual return schedule. An individual may be cleared to return to work by their physician and psychologist, they let the employer know and a gradual return to work is agreed upon. The individual starts work two weeks later and gradually assumes more responsibility, with the individual touching base with their psychologist a few times.

There are many other scenarios, including the employee assuming another job with the employer, or leaving the employer entirely for another organization. The time off to recover is also a time off to reflect – and it’s a tremendous opportunity for individuals to think about their work role and where they believe they can excel and want to be.

As professionals, part of what we do is support an individual in their return to good health and encourage them to consider all possible paths as they re-enter the workforce.

Dr Marie-Helene Pelletier is a bilingual practicing psychologist and experienced senior leader with the rare combination of PhD and MBA. She helps individuals and businesses increase health and performance via her individual therapy practice and workplace mental health consulting and as a resilience keynote speaker. Connect with Dr Pelletier on drmhpelletier.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.

F18 - Department

10 questions for Dr Mary McMahon

November 9, 2018By Lindsay

Dr Mary McMahon is an Honorary Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Queensland, Australia, where she has lectured in career development and career counselling at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Dr McMahon is a developer and co-author of the internationally recognized Systems Theory Framework of Career Development, which takes a holistic “individual in context” view of career development. She applies systems theory and systems thinking in her work on narrative career counselling and qualitative career assessment.

Dr McMahon will deliver a keynote address at the Cannexus National Career Development Conference, Jan. 28-30, 2019, in Ottawa. She is a co-editor (along with Dr Nancy Arthur and Dr Roberta Neault) of the forthcoming Career Theories and Models at Work: Ideas for Practice, published by CERIC and launching at Cannexus19.

Describe why career development matters.

Career development matters because it can offer a form of support for people who may have arrived at a challenging period of life in relation to their learning and work options. As practitioners who understand career development, it is easy for us to think career development matters. We need to remember, however, that others in the community such as potential clients and stakeholders may not know why it matters, and a constant challenge for us is, I think, to advocate for our field.

Which book are you reading right now?

Right now I am very busy with work and sadly, am not currently reading anything other than academic literature. When I do read for pleasure I most usually read crime fiction and enjoy the work of a range of authors. When I start a book, I like to finish it as soon as possible and I put everything else off until I get to the end.

What do you do to relax?

I like to walk in the park near our home every day and I regularly go to Pilates. I find going to the beach and swimming in the surf is a good way of unwinding. For me though, the best form of relaxation is to get away from everything by going camping.

Name one thing you wouldn’t be able to work without?

I would miss my diary if I lost it. I need to know each night what I am doing the next day so that I can visualize how I will manage it.

What activity do you usually turn to when procrastinating?

When I am at home, I walk around the house and then sit down with a cup of tea. I try to read something different or do some smaller tasks before getting back to whatever I am procrastinating about.

What song do you listen to for inspiration?

I like any kind of music. I’ve recently been to the musical Beautiful about the music and life of Carole King and I came away in awe of her talent.

Which word do you overuse?

So.

Who would you like to work with most?

I would most like to work with an aid organization trying to learn from and make a difference in the lives of people living in challenging circumstances.

Which talent or superpower would you like to have?

I would like to have the power to make the world a kind, fair, just and peaceful place where differences are solved through respectful, open and honest discussion.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I think pursuing my education has been my greatest achievement because of the opportunities that it has opened for me.

Careering

Career Briefs

November 9, 2018By Lindsay

Filling the research gap on ‘seniorpreneurs’

A CERIC-funded study conducted by the Sheridan Centre for Elder Research investigated the experiences, needs and interests of senior entrepreneurs (or “seniorpreneurs”). The eight-month study collected feedback from 180 senior entrepreneurs through online surveys, in-depth interviews and focus groups.

There has been relatively little research, or even interest, in investigating the characteristics of older entrepreneurs in Canada. This research fills an information gap by providing Canadian data about the needs and interests of seniorpreneurs, the results of which can be used by career counsellors to coach and guide older clients. Among the findings:

Nearly four in 10 older entrepreneurs face gaps in the support they need to launch or develop their businesses
37% of the respondents aged 50+ had challenges in accessing financial or government support and mentors
The top reason identified by respondents to start a business after 50 was interest in continuing to use their skills

The report offers recommendations to enhance the state of senior entrepreneurship in Canada, including: providing support for all entrepreneurs regardless of age; standardizing programs and services available to support this senior cohort; and providing career-transition services for older workers who are leaving traditional jobs.

Access the final report at ceric.ca/seniorpreneur.

Canada should improve labour-market outcomes for immigrants, women: report

The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) released its Economic Survey of Canada 2018 report in July. The OECD found that Canada’s economy has returned to buoyant growth with the help of stimulus measures following the weak patch caused by the 2014 energy price slump. However, the report stated that Canada’s labour productivity was below the OECD average. It also asserted that Canada’s aging population and weak productivity growth will present long-term challenges.

The report highlighted that Canada’s gender employment gap, which is considerably larger than the OECD average, has not shrunk since 2009. The report stated that the effects of population aging could be mitigated by improving labour-market outcomes for women, youth and seniors.

While the report commended Canada for its successful immigration policies, it also noted that labour-market integration challenges persist. When compared with Canadian-born workers within comparable education, age and geographical brackets, immigrants earn considerably less. The OECD urged Canada to improve integration measures and to select immigrants with higher earnings prospects to reduce the wage gap.

Read the Economic Survey at oecd.org – Economic Surveys.

Playbook provides comprehensive career-management tool for non-profits

CERIC is publishing a non-profit edition of its popular Retain and Gain Playbook this fall that addresses the challenges faced by charities and non-profits in attracting, retaining and engaging staff. This bilingual publication, authored by Lisa Taylor of Challenge Factory, will enhance capacity building across the non-profit sector. The Retain and Gain: Career Management for Non-Profits and Charities Playbook addresses the unique environment in which non-profits operate, in terms of funding mechanisms, community stakeholders and reliance on volunteers.

Written in an innovative “travel guide” format, the Playbook is intended for executive directors and people managers to use as a practical career management tool with their employees in charities of all sizes. It features strategies to engage full-time and part-time staff in ways that advance, develop and support thriving careers within the sector. This includes more than 40 practical, low-cost tips, activities and actions that can be implemented in as few as 10 minutes a day.

You can download the Playbook free, or it will also be for sale in hard copy as well as ebook formats.

Download the Non-Profit Retain and Gain Playbook or learn how to buy a copy at ceric.ca/nonprofit.

Excitement building for Cannexus19

Planning is well underway for Cannexus19, taking place Jan. 28-30, 2019 in Ottawa. This bilingual conference is Canada’s largest for career counsellors, career development professionals and the career services sector. The Cannexus19 National Career Development Conference will feature more than 130 education sessions. Topics include:

Effective counselling & facilitation techniques
Labour market information
Career assessment tools
Post-secondary & graduate employment

Deborah Saucier, Right Hon David Johnston and Mary McMahon will present keynote addresses. Cannexus will also feature a Mega Panel on Theories and Models at Work – Ideas for Practice.

Cannexus19 is expected to bring together 1,000 career development professionals from education, government, community and private sectors. The conference is designed to promote the exchange of information and explore innovative approaches in the areas of career counselling and career development.

Learn more about Cannexus19 and register at cannexus.ca.

Many students lacking paid work experience in their field: poll

A survey of 1,000 Canadian adults, 18 to 29, from the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) revealed that while students believe in the value of experiential learning, they are often unable to find paid work placements. The survey found nearly half of current students have not done paid work related to their field of study or through their academic program. However, the poll also found students believe paid work placements related to their field of study are the best type of experience to help new graduates get a good job. More than half (57%) of current students reported having participated in an unpaid work placement.

CASA recommendations for the federal government include:

Expanding the Canada Summer Jobs program to reach 10,000 additional students
Investing in programs that connect Indigenous and marginalized youth with employers and the labour market
Increasing youth access to career education
Increasing access to apprenticeships, as well as vocational education and training
Developing a well-co-ordinated and highly visible school-to-work transition strategy

Access the survey at casa-acae.com.

George Brown College launches new career development program

George Brown College, located in downtown Toronto, launched its Career Development Practitioner program this fall. The year-long (three-semester) program is shorter than the diploma program it replaced. Graduates of the program, which the College says is more practical and responds to employer demands for trained workers, will earn an Ontario College Graduate Certificate. The program maintains a generalist perspective, with such courses as Trends in Career Development, Professional Practice, and Individual Counselling and Coaching. Part-time and online learning options are available.

The program includes an experiential learning component in the third semester, which will see students attend a placement several times a week with the support of an advisor. Placements are chosen by students and approved by the program co-ordinator. Students can choose to work in a variety of settings, from community-based organizations to the private sector, vocational rehabilitation programs and government departments. The practicum component allows graduates to partly fulfil the work experience hours required by the Career Development Practitioners’ Certification Board of Ontario. As well, the program’s ethics courses are designed to meet the Certified Career Development Practitioner certification.

Visit georgebrown.ca/programs to learn more about the Career Development Practitioner program.

Careering

Editor’s note

October 11, 2018By Lindsay

Hello, readers. My name is Lindsay Purchase, and I’m excited to share with you my first Careering issue as CERIC’s new Content & Communications Editor. While you will continue to find the thought-provoking, informative articles that make Careering a must-read, you may also notice some new features (check out our infographic) and design shifts going forward as we continue to look for ways to serve you better. Inside our Navigating Mental Health and Disability issue, you will find themes of resilience, shifting perspectives and support networks; these have resonated with me as I have navigated my own career transition, and I hope they will for you as well.

As a society, we have a growing awareness of mental-health issues. We are becoming more accepting of physical and mental differences in the workplace. And yet, we have a long way to go in tearing down barriers to work for people living with disabilities or mental illness.

With one-third of Canadians experiencing a mental illness in their lifetime (Public Health Agency of Canada) and 3.6 million Canadians projected to be living with a physical disability by 2030 (Conference Board of Canada), professionals working in career development have an important role to play. How do resilience and wellness factor into career development? How can workplaces, schools and career development practitioners better support people with disabilities? In this issue, we explore these questions and many more.

First, Dr Marie-Helene Pelletier outlines the barriers people on leave due to mental-health issues can encounter upon their return to work. Then, Mary Ann Baynton explains how jobseekers can build resilience to more effectively handle the challenges of career transition.

We are also launching our new Client Side feature, in which a jobseeker reflects on successes and struggles in their career development. Here, Rebecca McMurrer shares her journey to finding meaningful employment in nursing after being diagnosed with a progressive condition that caused her mobility to deteriorate.

Also, in this issue’s Case Study, Teresa Francis shares her experience of helping a successful stage actor find confidence in his strengths to start a new phase of his career.

If you have feedback on our print articles or our web exclusives, or if you have ideas about how we can make Careering even better, I would love to hear from you. Have an article idea for our next issue? Take a peek at our upcoming theme and view our submission guidelines at contactpoint.ca/careering. Happy reading!

Careering

Client Side: How my disability changed my perspective on jobseeking

October 11, 2018By Lindsay

In Client Side, a new Careering feature, jobseekers reflect on successes and struggles in their career development.

After she was diagnosed with a progressive condition, Rebecca McMurrer feared the time and effort she had put into building a nursing career would go to waste

By Rebecca McMurrer

Jobseeking can be difficult in the best of circumstances. Browsing through postings, hoping to see a position that will not only meet your financial needs but also allow you to build a long and meaningful career, can be frustrating. When living with a disability, you share the same insecurities as other jobseekers, but you are also flooded with emotion and concerns, wondering if your limitations (perceived or otherwise) will eliminate you from even being considered.

My name is Rebecca McMurrer, and I live with a condition called spastic paraparesis as well as cerebral palsy. I have been trained in and worked as a human services worker, pharmacy technician and most recently became a licensed practical nurse specializing in Alzheimer and dementia care. I live in Saint John, NB, work for a non-profit organization and volunteer with a local nursing home in their Dementia Care unit. I have a passion for caregiving and educating others on various health topics as well as advocating for those who do not have a voice.

Finding a job was never very difficult for me. I had a great resume and a lot of experience and education. This all changed after I was diagnosed with a progressive condition and my mobility began to deteriorate. I still had the same qualifications and experience, but now I felt burdened with a label and new restrictions. I was a nurse, but now a nurse with a disability. This newly attached addendum to my life felt like an apology with a “but” attached to it. I felt my skills and experience would mean less and by that I would mean less as a person in the health-care field. How could I compete with those who had the same qualifications and knowledge, but were able to stand for hours on end, when I could not?

Being a nurse is an extremely physical job, but it was my passion. I was left struggling to reassure myself that I was still viable in my chosen field and that not only could I continue and flourish in my current vocation, but also that all the time, effort and study I had put into my career was not without merit. I began to feel as though my life (which was tethered to my career in many facets) was now as limited as I had begun to feel physically. My mental and physical health began to suffer as I pushed myself more and more to show not only those I worked with, but also myself, that I could still be a viable member of a care team. I pushed myself so hard, in fact, that I now require crutches and, in many instances, a wheelchair to complete even the simplest of tasks that I once took for granted. I began to feel more isolated and ineffectual as time passed.

I reached out to a friend to talk about my situation. He told me about an organization called the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW), and how they not only assisted him with finding a meaningful and appropriate career, but even more importantly, reminded him of his worth as a productive member of society. I took his advice to reach out and, after only three months, I found a position that suited my needs and accommodations, and also allowed me to support a population of people – often neglected and underserved – living with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Advocacy organizations help people who may have lost their drive, or even their ability to feel productive and of worth, to see themselves as equal to their peers. This is no small task, as physical ailments can create or exacerbate mental ailments if a person is feeling undervalued at work. Much work is still to be done, but with the increasing number of inclusive employers and organizations such as the CCRW working together, we are now making what was once impossible, possible.

Rebecca McMurrer is 26 years old and lives in Saint John, NB. In her spare time she enjoys volunteering at her church, exploring New Brunswick’s beaches and spending time with her partner, their Boston terrier and their cat.