The Impact of Mental Health on the Workplace
While great efforts have been made to promote “psychological health and safety in the workplace,” the reality is that more than 75% of Canadian employees feel uncomfortable discussing mental health issues at work. This reluctance hampers early intervention strategies and often results in employees being blindsided by their mental health disabilities at an acute phase – a point when they are often unable to perform key duties of their job.
Vector Medical’s team of experts in occupational psychiatry and addiction medicine provide best-in-class consultation and assessment services to expedite the recovery and return-to-work of employees with addiction and psychiatric issues.
Services include:
Independent Psychiatric Evaluation (IPE)
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Schizophrenia
Timely, quality-assured reports, tailored to you.
An optimized IPE process. We work with you to customize our IPE interview and reporting processes to meet your specific needs, while offering options to streamline the approach, minimizing time and cost. You will receive consistent, quality reports, regardless of where in Canada the IPE takes place.
- All IPE reports are reviewed for consistency and quality by Master-level Social Workers or Psychologists.
- Reports flagged with inconsistent narrative and IPE responses are sent for review to our National Director of Psychiatry, Dr. Maurice Siu.
- Reports requiring additional review are sent to Dr. Mick Markus or another of our specialists who hold the highest degree of expertise.
- Consults with the case manager / OHN / Medical Director by phone to discuss preliminary impressions of the interview and to share what results can be expected in the report.
- This consultation facilitates an exchange of impressions, enabling both parties to discuss subtleties that may not have arisen during the interview due to an employee’s reporting style or defensiveness.
Expert evaluations accessible anywhere in Canada.
- Vector’s occupational psychiatrists are located in major cities within every province and territory across Canada. When an employee in a remote location is unable to travel to the nearest major city, we use secure telemedicine (videolink) technology to facilitate the IPE. On site, the employee is always accompanied by a medical professional, who assists with the evaluation.
Independent Addiction Medicine Evaluation
The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse reports that employee substance abuse costs the Canadian economy $24.3 billion dollars in lost productivity per year. Concerned about substance use-related safety issues, informed employers in safety-sensitive workplaces often require employees to undergo regular alcohol and drug testing.
When an employee fails a test or self-discloses substance abuse, Vector Medical’s team of addiction medicine physicians assist employers in determining that employee’s “medical fitness for duty” by evaluating both psychological and physiological factors that may impact workplace health and safety.
View MoreA four-stage, wrap-around process, tailored to you.
Our process can be customized to your particular needs:
- Initial Addiction Medicine Evaluation by an Addiction Medicine Physician, who evaluates an employee’s substance use patterns, provides a diagnosis, and establishes treatment recommendations.
- Treatment referral and facilitation by the case manager, as recommended by the evaluating physician.
- Confirmation of successful completion of treatment by the case manager, who confirms that the employee was adequately engaged in treatment and has successfully completed it.
- Follow-up Addiction Medicine (Fitness-for-Duty) Evaluation by the Addiction Medicine Physician, who evaluates the treatment’s success and the prognosis for remission, evaluates the employee’s medical fitness-for-duty, and recommends a suitable return-to-work plan.
Expert evaluations accessible anywhere in Canada.
Vector’s certified (ABAM, ISAM, CSAM) addiction medicine physicians are located in major cities across Canada. When an employee in a remote location is unable to travel to the nearest major city, we use telemedicine (videolink) technology to facilitate our addiction medicine evaluations. On site, the employee is accompanied by an addictions professional who assists with the evaluation.
Workplace Medical Marijuana Protocol Development
Performed by our multi-disciplinary team of employment law experts, medical marijuana doctors, and occupational medicine specialists, we work with key employer representatives (i.e. HR, Occupational Health, Legal) to customize workplace protocols that address important considerations related to workers with medical authorization to use marijuana.These protocols are directly linked to key principles that [should be] outlined in the employer’s workplace alcohol and drug policies.
View MoreConsiderations can include:
Occupational Health and Safety
- What do I do when an employee who has medical authorization to use marijuana gets a positive drug test for THC?
Employee Human Rights
- Can I require all of my employees in safety-sensitive positions to disclose if they are using medical marijuana?
- Do I have the right to question the physician’s decision to authorize marijuana treatment?
Job Performance
- Can anyone prove whether or not the employee is fit for safety-sensitive duties?
Return-to-Work and Accommodation
- Is it my implicit responsibility to accommodate the employee?
There are no clear cut or easy answers. Human rights and workplace safety considerations are highly complex and can have serious implications for employers if not handled carefully. That is why it is essential to seek expert advice.
