On May 9th, 2024, Smart Serve announced the launch of the “Smart Serve Cares” campaign and collaborative effort with industry leader Not 9 to 5, a Canadian non-profit dedicated to mental health education and advocacy for hospitality professionals, and GreenShield, Canada’s only non-profit health and benefits company.

Smart Serve Cares is a timely campaign that aims to bring much-needed awareness to the significant mental health and substance use challenges faced by those working in hospitality. The initiative will provide essential and free mental health services to individuals holding an active Smart Serve certificate.

The hospitality sector is under immense pressure facing an alarming rate of mental health crisis and substance use, reaching an inflection point. Based on a research report from Not 9 to 5, those working as front-line staff in food and beverage have reported experiencing a ripple effect of burnout (87%), depression (77%), and high levels of anxiety (84%). Only 38% of respondents said they sought professional help with 62% who said they did not, citing financial reasons as the main barrier.

Through Smart Serve Cares program, hospitality professionals 18+ living in Ontario who are Smart Serve certified have access to:

• 3 hours of free virtual mental health counselling provided by GreenShield Health.
• Online access to GreenShield’s self-guided Digital CBT.
• Unlimited access to online resources, articles and educational materials from health experts via GreenShield.
• Free access to Not 9 to 5 CNECTed workplace mental health certification (coming later in 2024).

Not 9 to 5 is a non-profit global leader in mental health education and advocacy for the hospitality and culinary sector. Not 9 to 5 empowers industry professionals with practical skills and tools to create meaningful community change. Its vision is physical and psychological safety for everyone in the hospitality and culinary workforce. Not 9 to 5 aims to normalize workplace mental health training, access to accommodations and healthcare benefits, community care support and resources for all.

GreenShield is an integrated health and benefits organization and the first organization in Canada to operate as a payer-provider – offering insurance, administering benefits, and paying claims as a ‘payer’ while offering health services such as mental health, pharmacy, and telemedicine services as a ‘provider.’ Integrating both sides of the payer-provider equation enables GreenShield to simplify access to care, remove administrative barriers, and improve health outcomes for its customers.

GreenShield is uniquely structured as a non-profit social enterprise that reinvests its earnings and redeploys its services to support equity-seeking Canadian communities via its social impact brand, GreenShield Cares. The company’s overarching goal is to generate $75 million of social impact investments to improve the lives of at least 1 million Canadians by 2025, focusing on mental health, oral health, and essential medicines. As the industry’s noble challenger, GreenShield continues to innovate, evolving its offerings and services to deepen its purpose of championing better health for all.

Through this campaign, those who are Smart Serve certified will have access to Not 9 to 5’s CNECTed workplace mental health certification later in 2024. CNECTed is online self-led and a great first step for anyone in hospitality who wants to learn more about how to develop psychological safety, harm reduction and more. Throughout the course participants learn skills and tools to address the unique mental health and substance use challenges of the industry while also hearing from hospitality professionals in interviews and stories. CNECT stands for Change Needs Everyone Coming Together because we all play a role in improving workplace mental health in hospitality. CNECTed certification is for everyone but ideal for managers or anyone in leadership.

Pre-register for the CNECTed certification today.

By filling out a short assessment, GreenShield they will generate a list of counsellors best suited to your needs and preferences. Choose your counsellors based on clinical fit, cultural background, language, therapy approach and more. Therapy sessions can be easily booked online and delivered through a secure and encrypted platform by video or phone.

Through Smart Serve Cares, certificate holders have access to complimentary digital CBT, an online program that uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help with anxiety and depressions, and can be self-directed. As well, you can access a variety of different mental health articles through GreenShield to help you understand types of therapy, a guide to building mental health goals, and more.

Visit GreenShield’s wellness hub to access a variety of different articles on mental health and more.

Just log into your online account (www.smartserve.ca) and hit the ‘My Results’ tab to view, save, download, or print your certification. Your Smart Serve certificate is Valid for 5 Years. Trouble logging in? Click “Forgot your password” and follow the instructions.