The Public Service Commission (PSC) has called for mental wellness and counselling services to be made part of workplace support systems as concerns over mental health among employees continue to grow.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the 5th Nation Mental Wellness and Counselling Conference in Nairobi on Friday, PSC Vice-Chairperson Mary Kimonye said workplaces needed to do more to support employees dealing with mental health challenges.
“There is an evident rise in mental health challenges across workplaces in both the public and private sectors. It is high time we mainstream mental wellness services to address this challenge,” Kimonye said.
She said the government had already put measures in place to support the mental wellbeing of public officers.
According to Kimonye, a dedicated counselling department has been established under the State Department for Public Service and Human Capital Development.
The PSC has also hired professional counsellors to provide support to public officers and members of the public.
“The Government has established a dedicated department for counselling under the State Department for Public Service and Human Capital Development. The Commission has also hired professional counsellors who are available to attend to public officers and members of the public as well,” she said.
Kimonye also said the Commission’s disciplinary procedures were clearly set out to protect public servants from discrimination and mistreatment at the workplace.
Free Counselling Service
The Principal Secretary for Public Service and Human Capital Development, who was the chief guest at the conference, also spoke about measures being taken by the government to improve mental wellness.
She announced that the government had introduced a toll-free telephone service where public officers and members of the public can access professional counselling services at no cost.
The announcement was made during the 5th Nation Mental Wellness and Counselling Conference, which brought together stakeholders from both the public and private sectors.
The conference was held under the theme “Creating Mentally Healthy Workplaces: From Awareness to Action.”
Participants discussed progress made in promoting mental wellness at workplaces, emerging challenges and possible measures to improve support for employees.
The conference also focused on recommendations and actions that can be taken by employers and other stakeholders to promote mentally healthy workplaces.
