A Focus on Mental Fitness (UPDATED)

A settlement reached Tuesday could result in significant changes to the way inmates with mental illness are treated in the province's correctional facilities.

I think it was about three years ago that I pitched to a number of GR firm the idea of starting a mental fitness advocacy practice.  There were a couple of pieces to this:

- approach multiple mental health service providers at once and pitch the idea of serving a sort of association/advocacy role for them.  Mental health has traditionally been the underfunded cousin in healthcare; a collective voice supported by top-notch GR experts could see that change for the better.

- Occupational mental health including the concept of "cognitive labour" and work/workplace design.  As we move into the Knowledge Economy, there's going to be a new industrial revolution, only this one will be based around improved support for cognitive (rather than physical) labour.  People are working longer hours at specialized knowledge work with inadequate training, support and mental fitness parameters ('cause we generally have never thought about them before).  As a result, more people were suffering from burnout, presenteeism is on the rise and both innovation and productivity are impeded.  HR firms and Insurance companies would be all over this, if traditional CEOs might lag behind.

- Justice and mental health.  This one was inevitable for all sorts of reasons, the primary one being that police/the Justice System are the de facto front line in dealing with persons publicly expressing the symptoms of mental illness.

I suggested to these folk that, while it's true mental health was a niche issue without a lot of public/private traction, factors were starting to line up that would see that trend change.  Not only was there a dire need for society to expand it's thought process around cognition, work and space design; there were significant social and economic advantages to be gained from doing this right - and therefore, money to be had. 

This pitch got me a lot of pats on the head and compliments on my passion, but no bites.  They weren't seeing what I was seeing.  I smiled back and replied, "you will - just give it a couple of years."

I wonder what they're thinking now.

UPDATE:   "Everyone is a winner if we make the right changes," the report states.  No country can now afford to have productive citizens sitting idle because of poorly designed health and social programs."

Are you listening, Prime Minister?

UPDATEDER 28/11/13: The Mowat Centre has a whole study around behavioural economics and the public sector.

This is neat.