This topic came up in this week's PeerSpace group and felt important to blog about. So many of our community, ourselves included, often find themselves feeling isolated when they are occupying a liminal space, a space 'in between' as a result of their mental health. In these spaces in-between work and not-work, when we are tending to ourselves while still paying attention to our professional roles and responsibilities, there are a myriad of unexpected and unprepared for hurdles.
Reasonable adjustments
Not everyone sees their mental health lived experience as a disability - for many of us its a superpower and has gifts or at least the badge of warriorship. However, in law, mental health is covered by equality law as a protected characteristic under the term disability, and therefore your employer is required to offer reasonable adjustments when your mental health is suffering to enable you to continue to work.
The conversation about adjustments comes with issues around sharing your lived experience - start from a position of personal privacy and work out what does that person need to know in order to help - prep a headlines account of what's going on, what you might need at work, and what conditions will help you to thrive - it could be a mini formulation for those amongst us who call it such things.
The self-knowledge that tends to accompany lived and living experience will equip you well for this conversation. The ability to tune into your gut level instinct about what helps you to work well, and what hinders you, can often be blocked by fears around fitness to practice and the stigma we aim to bin here. Remembering that adjustments are a negotiation, but are also covered by law, might help you ask for what you need. Examples might be more breaks, avoiding cases of 'resonance' to a particular experience - bereavement and grief work being an commonly accepted example. Adjusted hours or protected spaces to work in might also help, but the list will be as individual as we are. For more information and definitions see What reasonable adjustments are - Reasonable adjustments at work - Acas
Return to work (RTW)
Coming back after a period of extended absence requires planning and this is acknowledged by the RTW plan, this is hopefully a negotiation between yourself and a line manager about what initial adjustments will help you ease back in. Again it helps to go into these conversations prepared, not only with what you are happy to share about your experience, but also what will help you thrive at work - remember it is in everybody's interests for your RTW to be successful and you are the expert in you, so own your expertise and offer a suggested plan. This often looks like adjusted hours, lighter work load and reduced responsibilities for a period of time.
Its really helpful in this phase to make the plan realistic and achievable so you get an early hit of success from some little wins. Finding a colleague who will celebrate these with you is an added bonus. For more information and definitions see Phased returns - Returning to work after absence - Acas
Stepping out of practice
A key competency for all regulated mental health professionals is the ability to recognise when it is time to stop practicing and focus on your for a while, and this is really ok, embrace it if you need it - all allies will be addressing any shame in the system around this. This is often a fraught decision, with worries about finances and career progression and health at the forefront, it can feel like a journey into the abyss, however we have walked that walk and can tell you finding your way back is not only doable, but can be joyful and ripe with possibility too.
This helpful factsheet from the HCPC helps frame a conversation or self-reflection around when it might or might not be time to step out registrants-mental-health.pdf by asking these questions:
1. Does your health condition impact your ability to practise safely?
2. Are you able to manage your condition so that it does not impact your ability to practise safely and effectively? Could it be managed through medication or treatment, for example? 3. Can you adapt, limit or change your practice to fit with your health needs, so that you can practise safely and effectively?
4. Can reasonable adjustments be made to your workplace that will enable you to practise safely and effectively?
The upshot here is: having a mental health difficulty is NOT of concern to regulatory bodies as long as it is discussed with someone and any impact on work can be supported.
What should never be of concern is the perception of us needing to take time out. Make no mistake, recognising when its time (and this is more common than you might think, remember 66% of mental health professionals have lived or living experience of mental health difficulties) is competence in action. Again, this can seem from the outside like an easy choice but those of us who have walked the path know the courage it takes to face the healing journey head on.
Find your tribe!
Liminal spaces such as RTW, adjustments or stepping away from practice can be a time of isolation from colleagues and peers so we welcome anyone in this position to come to talk to us about joining our Peerspace community or individual mentoring is a group isn't for you at this tender time. We will provide a community who will always celebrate your little and big wins, we can help you prepare for a sharing conversation about what you need at work and keep you company as you travel. We understand the courage all of this takes, because we've been there too.
More information is found on our mentoring page and you can get in touch with us by booking an initial conversation there, or by connecting via our contact page.
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