"Just because no one else can heal or do your inner work for you doesn’t mean you can, should, or need to do it alone.” - Lisa Olivera, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Did you know that one in four adults has a mental health impairment, according to JAN (Job Accommodation Network)? Mental health can be a topic that most people who battle it don’t like to bring up, especially not in a professional setting. However, workplaces in the United States are legally required to accommodate their workers with mental health impairments under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Defining a Disability
According to the Act, a disability is defined as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities”. As you can tell, it is broad and does not list any particular impairment or side effects. This helps to cover a wide variety of mental health impairments like bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder to name a few.
Disclosing Your Mental Health
It is important to note that you are not legally required to disclose your mental health impairment in a job interview. However, when offered the position, you may be legally required to disclose your mental health impairment if it interferes with the essential tasks of the job. In the position, you may have to disclose documents of proof of your mental health impairment when you request accommodations on the job.
Possible Accommodations
Depending on your mental health impairment and your specific job responsibilities, there is a variety of accommodations that you could receive. Here are a few examples:
Flexible schedule
Private rest area/modified break schedule
Support animal/person
Sound/lighting adjustments
White noise machines
Standing/sitting workspace
Electronic organizers
Vibrating watch/alarm
For more accommodations based on your specific mental health impairment, visit the Mental Health Impairments page of JAN.
UNO Resources for Mental Health
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provides programs and services on-campus that assist students in maximizing their potential while at UNO. Their counseling services are confidential and are all conducted by Licensed Mental Health Practitioners and a graduate student. To connect with CAPS, visit this link.
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