In early July, Edmonton chef Steve Brochu announced the first in what he hoped would become an ongoing series of free online mental health seminars to support Canadian hospitality workers during the pandemic.
Last week, after months of planning and preparation, the celebrated chef and owner of MilkCrate officially announced that part two will indeed take place, this time alongside The Sage Sunflower’s Karen Haugen.
“Tempers can flare up, stress can build, maybe you’re more afraid than ever to ask for help that you need, and the old habits you thought would change as we came back to our kitchens and offices didn’t; they got worse. We would like to help,” Brochu explains.
Haugen is a certified wellness practitioner and psychological health and safety adviser whose years of work with The Sage Sunflower has helped to build knowledge and skills for positive mental health integration into industry culture.
Similarly to the inaugural seminar, chef Brochu will host and moderate an online conversation during which he and Haugen will address tough topics and provide their professional insight into how toxic culture affects wellness and the role each individual has in making positive changes.
“These conversations around mental health and work environments can be tough or awkward to have, but they don’t have to be,” Brochu adds. “Positive change starts by talking about it. We hope to give you some tools and insights that can make talking about it easier.”
The online seminar takes place on September 28 at 3 p.m. (MDT) and is open to anyone. Although Brochu and Haugen will have particular questions prepared for the discussion, participants are encouraged to bring questions of their own (anonymously or directly) for the two hosts.
Registration is now available via email.
