Safe In Our World: Changing Lives by Normalizing Mental Health in the Gaming Industry
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When it comes to mental health, Safe In Our World is on a mission to make it a normal topic of conversation in the gaming industry. As a charity organization, their goal is to foster positive mental health and well-being, providing support not just for players but for all the individuals involved in the video games industry, including developers, publishers, and retailers.
Breaking Down Stigmas
Safe In Our World aims to combat the industry’s reluctance to prioritize mental health services and advocacy. Partnership and training manager Sky Tunley-Stainton believes that one of the biggest hurdles is the perception that mental health support is nice to have but not essential. To address this, Safe In Our World has created a program that offers free resources and encourages companies to become level-up partners without any financial barriers.
Normalizing Mental Health Care in the Workplace
Tunley-Stainton emphasizes the importance of studios outwardly promoting better conversations around mental health. This includes avoiding stigmatizing language in external-facing materials, such as recruitment practices. Safe In Our World firmly believes that mental health care and advocacy should be treated as basic necessities in all workplaces.
Sharing Powerful Stories
The charity’s work involves constant conversations to destigmatize mental health. Safe In Our World shares different stories via its website and podcast, recognizing the power of storytelling to create empathy and understanding. By sharing experiences, they aim to make individuals feel less alone and promote cultural acceptance.
Focusing on Underrepresented Communities
Understanding the unique mental health concerns of underrepresented communities is crucial. Safe In Our World offers international resources that cater to different backgrounds and mental conditions. They provide specific training sessions that focus on the experiences of people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, those from lower-income backgrounds, and people with disabilities. The organization aims to address the ways in which the industry is stacked against these communities.
Sidekick: The Video Games Mental Health Journal
Safe In Our World took a step toward physical support with the release of their self-help book, Sidekick: The Video Games Mental Health Journal. The book encourages active engagement with mental health and serves as a practical tool for individuals to explore their well-being. It offers prompts and activities to help individuals on their mental health journey.
Training Community Managers
Safe In Our World has trained over 350 community managers in mental health first aid and setting boundaries. While this is just a small portion of the industry’s community managers, it’s a start in equipping professionals with the necessary skills to support others.
A Bright Future for Mental Health Advocacy
Tunley-Stainton envisions a positive trajectory for mental health advocacy in the gaming industry. The organization plans to roll out more training globally and provide additional resources to stimulate discussions. They also hope to expand their network of level-up mental health partners. Ultimately, their long-term goal is to see a cultural shift where mental health is taken more seriously and integrated into business operations, fully supporting the industry in creating a more mentally healthy environment.