Games industry mental health charity Safe In Our World has launched the Mental Health Star Accreditation – a new initiative designed to provide companies with the opportunity to achieve a mark of excellence in workplace wellbeing.
The Mental Health Star Accreditation has been created by experts working in the intersection between mental health and games development with the long-term goal of creating psychologically safer working environments.
The process begins with a company-wide audit of mental health policies, practices, culture, and sentiment that will provide Safe In Our World with valuable insights that can be used to help employers support their teams. Once the audit is complete, Safe In Our World will issue a full report that includes examples of what the company is doing well and recommendations for areas of improvement.
Studios that successfully complete the accreditation will receive one of three tiers of endorsement from Safe In Our World depending on performance: Dedicated, Accomplished, and Outstanding. This lasts three years and comes with annual check-ins and support from Safe In Our World, as well as a media kit with assets that companies can proudly display on their websites or social media to signify their commitment to mental health.
Those who are not successful with accreditation need not worry, as Safe In Our World will provide a thorough and detailed report along with practical advice and resources to aid improvement. The Mental Health Star Accreditation is designed with flexibility and scalability in mind, and companies are welcome to resubmit whenever they feel ready.
Erla Arnadottir, Safe In Our World trustee and Head of Business Development at LootLocker, said: “We’ve been long overdue accreditation specific to the unique trials and challenges of the games industry. You can really tell that Safe In Our World has developed this accreditation with all different kinds of companies and their structures and needs in mind.”
As the first mental health and workplace wellbeing accreditation specific to the games industry, Safe In Our World has pointed out that the Mental Health Star Accreditation is for everybody – from two-person teams all the way to triple-A studios.
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