Webinar On-Demand: Mental Health in Retail—It’s Okay to Not Be Okay

While the retail landscape has evolved with the increase in online purchasing and home delivery, most of us are still getting out there to shop in brick-and-mortar stores, even if it’s because we bought online but are picking up in the store (BOPIS). There are even reports of a resurgence of people once again “hanging out at the mall.” Gone are the days, however, of retail being an easy place to work where the biggest stresses were around getting your markdowns done on time.

Today’s retail associate has a variety of safety challenges on their mind, with an increase in events that run the spectrum from disruptive customers to theft incidents to workplace violence, and even active threat concerns. While not everyday events, these are often enough to stay top of mind for most and that can weigh heavy in the associated stress and worry our associates carry with them not only at work, but when they go home as well.

In our August webinar, we discuss these stresses and the opportunities that retailers have in supporting their employees with programs and resources on and off the clock. Two great speakers, Dr. Ren Brown and Tobbie West, will share insights and research as we discuss challenges and opportunities with mental health in retail. If you can’t make it to the live webinar, still register and you will receive a recording of the discussion.

Warren (Ren) Brown, M.D., vice president of medical affairs and clinical strategy at Whole Foods Market, is board certified in both internal medicine and pediatrics since 2002. Trained at Loma Linda University Medical Center and focused on lifestyle, prevention, proactive chronic disease management, and population health, he launched and developed a successful direct-to-consumer and employer primary care company, Proactive Care Partners. In 2014, he joined Whole Foods Market to integrate this proactive model of primary care with the expansion of Whole Foods Market Medical + Wellness Centers, serving Whole Foods Market employees and their eligible dependents in Austin and Los Angeles.

Realizing the need to develop a health plan to support this unique primary care model, he worked with Whole Foods Market to develop what would become the Whole Health Plan, a self-funded, tiered health plan with a focus on not only addressing the high-risk population, but also identifying and serving those with rising risk. In 2020 he was named vice president of medical affairs and clinical strategy, expanding and integrating Whole Health concepts into all health benefit and wellness offerings.

Tobbie West is the regional director of asset protection programs at Macy’s. She started her asset protection career in Macy’s Herald Square almost 20 years ago and has held various positions with increasing responsibilities, starting as an asset protection store detective and working her way to becoming a regional director of asset protection, working across multiple regions, markets, and divisions prior to her current role managing the company’s asset protection programs.

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