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Q&A

Mental health support for OCME employees

4:25:22

·

127 sec

Council Member Mercedes Narcisse raises concerns about the mental health of OCME employees, given the nature of their work. Dr. Jason Graham outlines the agency's efforts to address mental health and wellness among staff.

Narcisse highlights the potential mental health impact of dealing with bodies daily and the COVID-19 pandemic
Dr. Graham acknowledges the importance of addressing vicarious trauma and overall health and wellness
He mentions that OCME developed a wellness program several years ago focusing on vicarious trauma and overall health
The program has grown and now works with WorkWell New York City
Dr. Graham describes the program as robust, addressing both mental and physical health concerns
He emphasizes that the agency recognizes the emotional challenges of their work and is actively working to mitigate any negative effects

Mercedes Narcisse

4:25:22

While we're talking about pay equity, we need to address that too as well because a lot of complaints that I got because I'm, you know, chair for hospital and I'm hearing it, so that's the reason I have those questions for you.

4:25:34

We just celebrated the five years anniversary of COVID nineteen.

4:25:38

Considering the nature of your work and what your employees see day to day, do you have any concern about the mental health of your employees?

4:25:48

And if so, how are you addressing that?

4:25:52

Because those are folks that are dealing with bodies day in and day out.

Jason Graham

4:25:56

Thank you for that question.

4:25:57

I think it's very important, and it is something that we have been attending to in a much more significant way over the course of the past several years.

4:26:09

Vicarious trauma, on the part of our staff who are day to day dealing with violent death and our staff that managed, the the the largest multi fatality incident in modern history who were dealing with enormous numbers of fatalities during the the pandemic, including our laboratory staff who were redeployed to morgue operations, for example.

4:26:36

So this is something that's absolutely on our minds.

4:26:39

We, several years ago, developed a wellness program that focuses on vicarious trauma, overall health and wellness.

4:26:47

That program has grown in many ways over the past several years, working with WorkWell New York City.

4:26:56

We've built a robust, I believe, wellness program that not only addresses mental health concerns, but physical health and wellness.

4:27:07

And that has been an active part of our agency for some time now.

4:27:11

And it's something that historically, I think generally in medicine, we could have been better at.

4:27:18

But it's something that we fully recognize now and are working actively to mitigate any sort of deleterious effects of the very difficult and emotionally challenging work that we do every day.

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Diversity initiatives within OCME