In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month this May, BCW’s Capable Employee Resource Group (ERG) executed an integrated rollout of internal programming and supporting content resources. Capable’s mission is to create and cultivate a safe space dedicated to supporting BCW employees across North America who face mental, emotional and physical disabilities and community allies. Founded in 2020, Capable is a fast-growing BCW ERG, whose members come from various levels, markets and practice areas. Throughout May, Capable executed the following tactics:
Enhancing Mental Health Conversations:
“When I Stopped Hiding, I Found Freedom” An Inclusive Conversation with TEDx & DEI Speaker Ruth Rathblott
Ruth Rathblott, TEDx speaker and DE&I trailblazer, joined BCW on Tuesday, May 10, to discuss disability – both visible and invisible – in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. She shared, “When we accept, appreciate and honor our differences, we become truly authentic, we become more passionate, and we become free.”
Born with a limb difference, Ruth spent 25 years hiding this characteristic, presenting herself as someone with two hands when she only had one. Ruth touched on invisible disabilities in this conversation, covering hidden differences and owning her disability. Her story speaks to how we cope with feelings of isolation, our need to feel connected to others, the ability to rise above life’s challenges and the freedom gained from letting go of shame. Learn more about Ruth at ruthrathblott.com.
Highlighting Employee Experiences:
“Capable Storytelling Series”
A valued component of the Capable ERG mission is to normalize having a disability and to create a space for members to own and share their challenges. This May, Christine Benton, Executive Vice President & Capable ERG Executive Sponsor, shared her experience with anxiety – where she described her technique with “The Color of Anxiety” to enhance her mental health daily. Christine is one of the various members who have opened up about their experience with disability with the support of Capable. Members are welcome to share a blog post on BCW’s intranet on an ongoing basis, anonymously or not. Learn more about Christine's creative mental health tool here.
Broadening Evergreen Resources:
“Think Different” Content Resource & Digital Guidance
Much of the way we think is influenced by the content we consume. What better time to reevaluate your daily content consumption than Mental Health Awareness Month? Capable prepared a comprehensive content resource to enable BCW North America employees to “Think Different.” It includes inspiring books, informative online classes, enlightening podcasts, groundbreaking TedTalks and robust social media channels (yes, including some of our TikTok favorites!). The compendium includes a list of approximately 55 recommended resources featuring crowdsourced content and specific digital guidance from our very own experts on how to best manage your Instagram algorithm to formulate a more positive user experience on the platform. The crowdsourced favorites live on BCW’s intranet for ongoing employee use.
BCW’s Capable ERG will continue the momentum by leveraging WPP’s newly launched U.S. Mental Health Allies (MHA) program. The group will work to amplify and support the internal effort with WPP liaisons, BCW’s MHA Steering Committee and respective ERG and DE&I teams. Later this year, mental health awareness conversations will continue at BCW by recognizing World Mental Health Day (October 10), when BCW’s offices will be closed on Friday, October 7, to honor the holiday.
For more information and strategies to reach the disability community, please reach out to BCW’s ERG team at [email protected].
