Trenton- The New Jersey Civil Service Commission hosted the first Mental Health Symposium for State Employees on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 to commemorate Mental Illness Awareness Week which is observed the first week of October.

The symposium was held at the New Jersey State Museum and was successful in connecting over 100 state workers with wellness resources.

Guest speaker Greg Brannan presented an impactful and engaging discussion on Resilience: Living a Mentally Healthy Life. The event also included a dramatic performance depicting the impacted of mental illness in the workplace, presented by the NJ Mental Health Players.

“Each year, millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental health condition. Mental illness affects everyone directly or indirectly through family, friends or coworkers,” said Chair and CEO Deirdré Webster Cobb, Esq. “We want our employees to know that we support and are available to assist them through our Employee Advisory Service and other programs and services.”

“Employee Advisory Service (EAS) is a State sponsored program designed to help employees and their dependents with personal, family or work-related issues that may adversely impact their work performance,” said Shelby Pettis, event organizer and Manager of EAS. “EAS provides confidential assessment, counseling and referral services and helps to restore the health and productivity of employees and the workplace as a whole.”

For more information regarding the EAS, please visit: https://www.state.nj.us/csc/employees/programs/advisory/eas.html