Photograph by Daniel Deemer.
Article written for Powder Magazine, completed October 23rd, 2020, just as they closed operations.
Moving to Lake Tahoe, without friends or a job, sounds scary for anyone. Less than one year since my mom passed away from cancer, I was also healing, and rebuilding my life. Within one week, I landed my first job in the ski industry, at Kirkwood Mountain Resort. At 7,800 feet, I found home, due in large part to the ability to put mental health at the forefront.
For five years now, I’ve advocated for initiatives improving the mental health of employees. Vail Resorts, Kirkwood’s parent company, provides resources, money, and time to create impact. From free education, to open communication, to access to therapists, to employee events, we’ve built a holistic community approach. Through sharing what I’ve learned, I hope others will implement comparable programs and together we can significantly change the ski industry.
Offer Mental Health Courses
One month from my start-date, I was invited to a Mental Health First Aid course. Sometime during these eight hours, I scanned the bullet points under “Depression Symptoms” and realized a booklet was describing my own experience. The impact is comparable to the power of an AIARE course. If you can’t read the signs of danger and you don’t have the tools to respond with calm confidence when a crisis arises, someone, maybe you, can get hurt.
The resort continues to sponsor education, adding safeTalk Suicide Prevention in 2020, building a vast team working and living closest to those struggling. We are not police or therapists. We are friends. And we are trained to recognize signs, communicate with care, and guide people in our community to professional help.
Encourage Open Conversations
Just like tree wells and cornices, the risks to our mental health can seem invisible. It is only through talking about these realities of the ski industry that we can navigate the tragedies that occur. Ski Patrol Supervisor at Kirkwood Mountain Resort, Heather Dent, has witnessed communication change dramatically. “It’s now okay to talk about your feelings.” She also recognizes the diversity in people’s needs. “Some want to ski harder and enjoy life because it was taken away. Others can’t shake it and just need a laugh or a cup of tea with a friend.”
When it comes to loss and grief, one coping mechanism is universally helpful – “remembering our people and not letting them fade away”. As the Vice President of the Kirkwood Rescue Avalanche Dog Foundation (KRAD), Heather launched a fundraiser in honor of the admired Tahoe Basin ski patroller, Amy Holland, who died from brain cancer in 2019. Already having sponsored 11 women to attend mountain safety courses, Heather gratefully expresses, “keeping her name alive means the world to me.”
Remove Barriers
No matter your role, sharing what tools work for you is an effective invitation. Concurrently, Dr. Cory Levy, clinical psychologist and wellness manager at Vail Resorts, is adamant to not be naïve to what keeps us from getting help. Just as we need to tear down the barriers to skiing for underprivileged children and to Black, Indigenous and People of Color, we must also tear down the barriers to therapy for our employees.
First, is financial cost. Our paychecks are small. Our hobbies are expensive. Vail Resorts partners with ComPsych to offer free therapy (six sessions per issue), for all employees (plus seasonal inactive / employed in the last three months). Moreover, all dependents, and housemates, receive the same free service! Dr. Levy points out that this is, “a win for everyone. Healthier employees. Better guest experience. Great for the therapists by giving them additional business and financial support.”
The second roadblock is time. An hour drive into town. Some without a car. Storms make the road dangerous. No one wants to spend their day off commuting instead of skiing. “Human behavior is more likely to accept convenience and accessibility, until they have a motivating reason to show up everyday,” says Betsy Glass, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and former onsite therapist.
Telehealth (or onsite therapy) removes transportation and time impediments. However, if done without considerations for privacy (ex. thin walls), comfort (ex. no heat), and technology (ex. no phone), it can exacerbate an already struggling person. “Therapy should not be more stressful than the circumstances that brought you there,” Betsy explains. This season, Vail Resorts is launching a text/chat therapy service, also free for an introductory period, further breaking down roadblocks.
Build Culture & Community
Betsy elaborates that therapy is not enough to achieve long lasting impact. Activities and community outside of working hours are paramount, and an integral part of her holistic approach. “The group connectivity that you provided on mountain […] was part of my practice. I asked them to show up to yoga, bingo, and employee dinners. I don’t know if I could have done [onsite therapy] without those resources on mountain.”
Just as the most loved ski resorts offer a variety of terrain, from groomed green runs, to chutes off cliffs, we need apres to appeal to a variety of interests. With a dedicated team of volunteer (paid) employees, we had a vision to re-imagine the employee culture in the ski industry. After four seasons, our employees not only appreciate the time, money, and passion put into events, they rely on them.
The leaders in our ski communities must take action now, before the season begins. Add “mental health” to meeting agendas. Partner with professionals to provide accessible free sessions. Contact your county to schedule educational courses. Gather a committee passionate about the community’s well-being. While we strive to minimize physical injuries, we also need to minimize mental and emotional harm, this season more than ever.
I challenge you to push further. Look outside the ski industry box, learning from programs like OneWave International’s Fluro Fridays. Look at housing options for employees and find the resources needed to prioritize their basic needs. And don’t forget to check in on your mental health advocates. Take a look at who is at the helm, and give back to them what they’ve been tirelessly giving. Look them in the eyes and ask, “are you okay?”
Date Completed: October 23, 2020
Publication: Powder Magazine
Editor: Sierra Schafer (version below is edited only my author)
Published Date: n/a (magazine paused/shut down immediately after article deadline)
Publish Link: n/a