The healthcare profession can be stressful even without a pandemic. So institutions like the University Health Network (UHN) have implemented initiatives to help staff build resilience and find respite from demands of the job. Join Heather Gordon, EdD, and Prof. Steve Joordens as they discuss strategies employed at UHN during the pandemic, along with the psychology behind them. It’s all part of UHN’s goal to develop a more informed approach to mental health support going forward.

This MOOC includes:

• Seven modules screened over five weeks or at your convenience. Each module features videos, as well as lectures by Prof. Steve Joordens, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, and Heather Gordon, EdD, Wellness Manager for UHN
• Virtual access to a teaching assistant and customized videos to open and close the course

Registration

MENTAL HEALTH & RESILIENCE FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS – CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS

MODULE 1 – Introduction and Welcome
•    Welcome to Our Course!

MODULE 2 – Understanding and Managing Anxiety: Introduction
•    Refresh from Stress
•    Understanding Anxiety
•    Music and the News

MODULE 3 – Using the Environment to Support Mental Wellbeing
•    Laughter Yoga
•    Put On a Happy Face
•    Take the Wheel

MODULE 4 – The Power of Gratitude
•    Gratitude
•    With a Little Help From My Friends
•    Everything is Relative

MODULE 5 – Building Resilience
•    The Power of Resilience
•    The Foundations of Mental Health
•    Just Relax

MODULE 6 – Burnout
•    Burnout
•    Perspective

MODULE 7 – Goodbye and Thank You!
•    Goodbye!

Delivered online by Coursera, this MOOC is one of the many ways U of T keeps you informed, inspired and in touch with alumni all over the world. Stay connected to your U of T community and never stop learning.

About the Lecturers

Professor Steve Joordens was trained as a cognitive psychologist with expertise in consciousness and human memory. He has taught Introduction to Psychology for over two decades, both at U of T and online. He has received several awards for his teaching and was named the 3M National Teaching Fellow in 2015. News outlets often call upon Prof. Joordens to provide psychological perspectives on issues like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Heather Gordon, EdD, MSW, RSW, PMP, is the Wellness Manager for the UHN and a Yeshiva Adjunct Professor. Her primary goal is to support the emotional wellbeing of UHN staff using the dimensions of health: mind, body and spirit. As the Staff Support Lead for Emergency Response, she has been collaborating with stakeholders on the wellness needs of UHN staff since the start of the pandemic. Gordon will continue to calibrate her responses to meet new demands and opportunities.

Registration

The week of June 19, you’ll receive an email from Coursera with a link to access the course. If you don’t receive an email from Coursera two business days after registration, please email regional.programs@alumni.utoronto.ca

To access the course, you’ll need to create an account on the Coursera website. Please follow these simple steps.

• Click the link in the email sent by Coursera.
• At the top of the page, click “Sign up”.
• Choose whether you want to provide a name, email and password, or link your Coursera account to your Facebook profile.

Computer Literacy
You need knowledge of the following skills to participate in this MOOC:

• Understanding of basic computer hardware and software; ability to perform computer operations, such as:
  • Managing files and folders: save, name, copy, move, backup, rename, delete
• Using software applications like Word, PowerPoint, Excel and email clients
• Knowledge of copying and pasting, spell-checking and saving files in different formats
• Sending and downloading attachments
• Internet skills (connecting, accessing, using browsers) and ability to perform online research using search engines
• Ability to use online communication tools, such as email (create, send, receive, reply, print, send/receive attachments), discussion boards (read, search, post, reply, follow threads), chats and messenger tools

Recommended Browsers and Devices
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Having trouble with Coursera? Start by ensuring you’re using the most recent version of a supported browser or device.

Computer browsers supported by Coursera:

• Google Chrome (recommended)
• Firefox
• Safari
• Internet Explorer
• Microsoft Edge

Note: If you're using an older browser, updating your browser often solves the problem.