…… trains Wellness Champions
As part of effort to promote comprehensive health system and ensure civil servants attain better mental health, the Lagos State Government has trained the wellness champions’ team to manage the overall psychological wellbeing of its workforce.
Speaking at a webinar session organised to create awareness and sensitise the Lagos State Employee on the Wellness Centre, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Mrs Yewande Falugba said that the initiative underscores the high premium the present administration places on the wellbeing of its workforce inline with its THEMES Agenda, particularly at this present time when everyone is grappling with global health crisis of Covid-19 Pandemic.
She explained that the Lagos State Employee Wellness Centre (LASWELL) was set up for the mental stability and management of common mental health disorders of Lagos State Public Servants, revealing that employees can only continue to contribute their quota to the attainment of a Greater Lagos when they are alive and in good health.
“The fact that the rate of depression, hopelessness and lack of self-actualization has assumed unprecedented dimension in our society today is enough to invest in the system. As a responsible government, we cannot pretend to be uninterested in this. We are taking this step to nip the development in the bud”, she affirmed.
Speaking on the need to equip the State Civil Servants on the 21st century wellness skills, Falugba pointed out that the use of this non-pharmaceutical method of human reintegration has proven to be very potent in different climes across the world.
While submitting that the sensitization is to create awareness about the existence and functionality of Lagos State Employee Wellness Centre before the official launch for the use of all Public Servants, she said the centre was set up under the collaborative management of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Youth and Social Development.
Falugba revealed that the LASWELL Centre, with the motto “Total wellness for Public Servants”, is located within the Folarin Coker Staff Clinic at the Secretariat, Alausa and will be regarded as a one-stop Wellness Centre where mental health counselling, psychotherapy, initial diagnostic assessment, organisational psychology and referral will be provided by Psychiatrists, Clinical Psychologist and Social Welfare Officers.
Falugba implored Civil Servants to take full advantage of the Centre as a way of regaining self-confidence, self-worth and self-actualization, and even reintegration to the society rather than submitting to hopelessness, depression, substance abuse or considering suicidal attempt as an option.
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health Dr. Olusegun Ogboye disclosed that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies have been directed to nominate six members of staff each as wellness champions who will help in reaching out to members of staff who need help.
Ogboye noted that the nominated Wellness champions from all MDAs have been trained ahead of the activation of the centre, to identify and support other staff who require care to access service at the centre.
The Permanent Secretary also urged members of staff who may be interested in becoming wellness champions, but not nominated, to signify their interest by volunteering themselves through their various MDAs.