“I don't like using terms like ‘silver linings’ in the context of this global crisis,” said Désirée Pascual. “But there were some opportunities that most certainly emerged in the face of what we were all going through. Now is the time to create real change as DEI and employee mental health initiatives are increasingly greenlit–and bankrolled.”

Pascual, speaking as the chief people officer for the mental-health platform Ginger, which recently merged with the meditation and wellness company Headspace, spoke in a thought-leadership spotlight at From Day One’s October virtual conference on “Promoting Employee Mental Health, Wellness and Stress Reduction.” Pascual gave a presentation about the inextricable link between diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and mental health, and how employers can effectively meld mental-health care into their DEI plans.

The time is now for HR departments to make that connection and act on it, said Pascual. “Prior to the events of 2020, mental health in the workplace had been treated as a one-size-fits-all issue. There was very little recognition of the psychological impact of racial violence and microaggressions on people of color and other marginalized populations.” Growing public awareness and media attention have given DEI leaders more leverage when it comes to asking C-suite leaders for mental health resources, and the workforce needs HR to lobby for this support.

Members of marginalized groups are disproportionately affected by mental health strain, an impact that has been compounded by Covid-19. “For many, the feeling of otherness is at an all-time high,” Pascual said. “It's not surprising that fear or harm to one's reputation is amplified amongst marginalized groups who are constantly navigating how to fit into dominant culture. Given the traumatic events over the last 18 months, marginalized communities are now looking at their identity and examining existing paradigms in a hyper-focused way.”

She shared a few illustrative statistics in her presentation. During the pandemic, “women left the workforce at an unprecedented rate–an estimated four times faster than men. Black and Latinx employees were left disproportionately unemployed or underemployed, and disabled workers and neurodiverse employees also disproportionately lost jobs and are facing a particularly hard time navigating the road back to work.” Just one in six employees from marginalized groups feel supported in the workplace, according to a survey by McKinsey & Company.

Pascual asserted that employers have an obligation to build mental health and well-being into their DEI plans, and those services must be tailored differently to people of color, people who are neurodiverse, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, and women. “Today's workplace looks quite different than it used to look demographically. The modern workplace is increasingly multicultural and multigenerational. It's also less transactional and much more relational in nature,” she said.

To manage this transition, management’s focus must be on providing culturally competent care, said Pascual. This means recognizing how mental health issues affect marginalized communities in different ways, altering practices to reach each cultural group, and scrapping the one-size-fits-all paradigm. Culturally competent care, she said, values the role of culture, addresses cultural differences, seeks advance knowledge of cultures, and adapts skills and interventions to serve the unique needs of individuals. It’s a practice that requires ongoing attention and learning.

For many employers, the shift to culturally competent care may be a significant one, but well worth the journey, Pascaul said. Her company practices this among its own workforce. “We invest in ongoing cultural-competency training on topics relating to LGBTQ community issues, around racial trauma and veterans, and we're currently developing a training series particularly focused on people with disabilities.”

Pascual closed with this advice for employers: train managers and leaders to create a culture of psychological safety and inclusion, adequately support and foster the growth of diverse stakeholders, double-down on demographic data, and reassure employees that you care for their well-being, which includes mental health now more than ever.

Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner who sponsored this thought-leadership spotlight, Ginger.

Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza is a writer, editor, and content strategist based in Richmond, Va.