Chamber Embraces Mental Health as a Business Issue

At the start of the pandemic, the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce launched a hotline for business owners to answer questions and provide support.

“The confusion and the need for information was so critical, so we set up a series of tools, one of them being a hotline,” said Amanda Blackwood, president and CEO of the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce.

But the focus of that hotline quickly shifted. While people called for business guidance, assistance with the Paycheck Protection Program and other resources, some calls were a cry for help.

“There were folks that were reaching out for human connection, for a warm voice at the end of the line to tell them that everything was going to be okay,” Blackwood explained.

The need to address mental health concerns prompted chamber leadership to make connections to help their community. And chamber staff answered the call. Staff were trained by mental health experts in trauma response and suicide prevention. It’s just one example of how chambers can make community impact. The hotline has received thousands of calls and over 900 calls so far in 2021. It will continue as long as it remains useful, Blackwood noted, adding, “Mental health is undeniably a business issue.”

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), in February 2021, more than half of Americans reported that COVID had a negative impact on their mental health.

 “As a chamber of commerce, that opportunity to step into the modern version of what a chamber can be, how we can be of service to community, how we can use our amazing platform and toolkit to create dialogue and understanding but ultimately creates a more business friendly environment,” said Blackwood.

If your chamber is interested in exploring some options in mental health support, here are a few ways to get started:

Look inside before you go outside.

Create space in your own organization to talk about mental health. Check in with staff, co-workers and with yourself. Help provide a culture where mental health discussions are encouraged, not taboo.

Dialogue with members that are healthcare providers.

If you have interest in bringing mental health resources to those outside the chamber staff, check in with members that are healthcare providers. They will have resources, advice and potentially training in the mental health arena.

Convene information and provide community resources.

Lots of people see chambers as information clearinghouses, so do some research on local mental health nonprofits or organizations that might provide valuable partnerships.

Check your health insurance for mental health benefits.

Some health insurance plans might provide mental health resources that you aren’t aware of. Blackwood mentioned that the health plan at her chamber includes six free sessions with a therapist, and that some staff took advantage of that benefit.

Communicate your community value.

“Chambers just really have this magical place of being the center of community and touching so many people. We can make connections in the community that so many others can’t,” Blackwood explained. Consider creating a micro-site specifically for local mental health resources or even a hotline like Sacramento did. Use your existing social media platforms and chamber board and ambassadors to spread the word to call the chamber first. Be ready with business resources, community connections, nonprofit assistance and other basic information that a community member might need.