Strategies for supporting workers with recovery-friendly approaches

Dr. Keith Dobson, Dr. Bruce Dick, Brian Hamel

Panel 9 – Occupational Health Stream –Fostering Workplace Mental Health through trauma, stigma, and recovery perspectives

September 25th Day Three – Macleod Hall A & B South Building 11:00 am to 12:30 pm

Strategies for supporting workers with recovery-friendly approaches

Dr Bruce Dick

Session Description

Recovering workers may grapple with a variety of challenges as they prepare to return to work and as they re-enter the workplace. This presentation will address some of the factors that recovering workers deal with including pain, trauma, and stigma associated with their conditions. It will also focus on user-friendly strategies for leaders and colleagues to adopt in supporting these workers while facilitating recovery and reintegration in the workplace. This presentation will review therapeutic approaches and programs employed in our Multidisciplinary Pain Centre at the University of Alberta that are grounded separately in cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) including CBTi for insomnia, dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), positive psychology using Seligman’s PERMA model, mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR), and mindful self-compassion and how these approaches can be adopted into everyday approaches to be used by leaders and staff in the workplace.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand and apply strategies to support and assist individuals with pain management needs
  • Understand and apply strategies to support and assist individuals who have experienced trauma
  • Understand and apply strategies to support and assist individuals who experience stigma

References

  • Dobson, K. S., Szeto, A. C. H., & Knaak, S. (2019). The Working Mind: A meta-analysis of a workplace mental health and stigma reduction program. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 64, Supplement 1, 39S–47S. https://doi.org/10.1177/0706743719842559
  • Szeto, A. C. H., Dobson, K. S., Luong, D., Krupa, T., & Kirsh, B. (2019). Workplace anti stigma programs at the Mental Health Commission of Canada: Part 2. Lessons learned. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 64, Supplement 1, 13S–17S. https://doi.org/10.1177/0706743719842563
  • Dobson, K. S., & Stuart, H. (Eds.) (2021). The Stigma of Mental Illness. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
  • Dobson, K. S., Lindsay, B., Termeer, J., Mineva, E., & Szeto, A. C. H. (2025). Reducing mental health stigma in the workplace: A meta-analysis of The Working Mind program in virtual delivery format. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 69, DOI: 10.1177/07067437251328366

Bio

Dr. Dick is a clinical psychologist by training and is a Full Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Alberta. His research interests focus on the effects of chronic pain across the lifespan on a number of factors including cognitive function, disability, sleep, stigmatization of patients, and quality of life. Included in that research are studies that explore distance treatment programs for individuals with pain and their families, educational programs aimed at improving clinical outcomes and population factors associated with chronic pain. Dr. Dick is also a registered clinical psychologist who provides clinical services in the Pediatric Chronic Pain Clinic at Stollery Children’s Hospital and in the Multidisciplinary Pain Centre at the University of Alberta Hospital where he is the Chief of Psychology.

Other Panel Members

Join us for the Alberta Recovery Summit, hosted by the 9th Annual Recovery Capital Conference taking place on September 23rd, 24th, and 25th, 2025.

 Session Streams

  • Health Care and Recovery
  • Indigenous Health
  • Occupational Health and Safety

 Key Details

  • DAY ONE September 23rd – 5:30 pm 6:30: Early Badge Pick Up and Networking Reception, 6:30 pm to 8 pm Pre Conference Presentation
  • DAY TWO September 24th – 8:45 am to 5 pm: Keynote Speakers and Breakout Sessions
  • DAY THREE September 25th – 9 am to 5 pm: Keynote Speakers and Breakout Sessions

 Hotels

Book your hotel at one of our host hotels and save money. Click on the links for the discount rates and book early as rates will go up, and they always sell out.

Schedule

Speakers

Registration

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