#schongenial: Since February 2020, you and Mr Zeininger have been Managing Directors of pro mente Reha GmbH, a company that operates healthcare facilities at six locations in Austria and employs around 350 people. You are a qualified teacher and have completed a degree in social and economic sciences alongside your work, which you completed with a doctorate. You once said in an interview that social policy is your professional "home". How did you recognise this path for yourself?
Karin Reiter-Prinz : My "doctoral supervisor" Prof Dr Josef Weidenholzer from the Johannes Kepler University Linz was - and still is - certainly an important trailblazer. In his seminars, we students not only received valuable information and impulses on social policy in our country and beyond, but were also sensitised to the different aspects of our society. Social and societal policy has nothing to do with social romanticism or even party politics - an honest examination of the differences, different situations and needs of people is necessary to enable peaceful coexistence. To achieve this, social and societal policy needs a canon of several disciplines and specialisms.
#schongenial: If you follow the media closely, psychological stress is increasing overall. The coronavirus pandemic, which has left its mark on young people in particular, has certainly accelerated this development. You took on your role as Managing Director just before the outbreak of the pandemic. How have you experienced the last four years? How is the situation in your centres today?
Karin Reiter-Prinz: Yes, it was indeed a very challenging situation. Our hospitals were closed on 16 March 2020 and we had to discharge our patients in an orderly manner: Each patient discussed their individual circumstances with our colleagues on site and planned their early return home, taking into account all the uncertainties. We were then also able to take advantage of short-time working benefits, which contributed significantly to the preservation of all jobs.
After reopening two and a half months later, we experienced many uncertainties - as was the case worldwide - and working with our patients was not always easy.
Today, in 2024 and four years later, the situation has largely normalised and we can justifiably say that together as a team of 350 colleagues, we have mastered this time excellently despite the difficulties. In many cases, this has brought us even closer together and also revealed things that we might not have seen in "normal operations".
In summary and looking back, we can say that we have come through the crisis well as an organisation, which is not least due to the commitment and good focus as well as the solidarity within our colleagues. And as the "boss", I think that's brilliant!
#schongenial: What does the age structure of the patients actually look like? Have there been any shifts after the pandemic?
Karin Reiter-Prinz: Our patients are generally not very young - we see most people in the 35 to 50 age category. In 2022, an above-average number of young adults (aged between 18 and 30) sought psychiatric rehabilitation, which we also attribute to the Covid pandemic. However, it is clear that the times we live in tend to demand that people keep up.
#schongenial: In an interview, you once described yourself as a "lobbyist" to counteract prejudices about mental illness by raising awareness. What measures do you take to do this? How can your efforts be supported by outsiders, by people who are not directly involved in the health sector?
Karin Reiter-Prinz: Firstly, we are convinced that knowledge and information about mental illness and mental health help to break down prejudices. This is reflected in our public relations work when we report on the psyche on our social media channels, in (specialist) journals and magazines. We are currently posting tips on maintaining mental health with the topic "10 steps for mental health".
On the other hand, we see ourselves as experts when it comes to the psyche. Together with the pro-mente family (26 associations and societies in Austria that deal with mental health, united in the umbrella organisation pro mente Austria - www.promenteaustria.at), we have currently developed a campaign that puts mental health in the focus of political actors. Information on this can be found at Our campaign - pro mente Austria.
At this point, I would also like to mention the "First Aid for the Soul" project supported by the Healthy Austria Fund and the ÖGK. This 12-hour seminar is aimed at anyone who would like to know more about mental health and illness and, above all, how to provide first aid for the soul: www.erstehilfefuerdieseele.at. The seminar has also already arrived in the corporate context: Many companies (e.g. Ikea and Stiegl) already have first aiders for the soul who know what to do if the worst comes to the worst.
#schongenial: Prevention, treatment and rehabilitation are the focal points of pro mente Reha. What role does the topic of appreciation play in this? How is this practised in your centres, both among staff and with patients? How do you promote a culture of appreciation among employees in your rehabilitation centres and what measures does management take to support this culture?
Karin Reiter-Prinz: As human beings and as social beings, we are dependent on reactions from our counterparts - not only to reflect on our own actions, but also to receive confirmation and thus recognition and "a good feeling". Who hasn't experienced the joy of being praised? Mutual appreciation is therefore a key to mental health. If we honestly appreciate each other and express this, we can do a lot of good for our colleagues and ourselves.
For these reasons, our colleagues are virtually specialised in showing appreciation when dealing with our patients. We know about the extremely positive power of appreciation! And appreciation is not a one-way street - those who appreciate others will experience appreciation.
In our day-to-day work, we realise that although appreciation is an attitude and mindset, it can be learned and trained. Let's focus on the positive, be attentive and learn to see the good things - this is far from naïve!
Appreciation cannot be prescribed - like so many things, appreciation should be exemplified by the company management and made a top priority. During my regular visits to the sites, I get to talk to my colleagues, find out more about their day-to-day work, about things that cause concern, but also about those situations that bring joy. If the basic attitude is right, you don't need guidelines or good tips on how to show appreciation - appreciation is expressed in everyday encounters and activities.
And yet I have a tip: express your appreciation honestly! Praise sincerely! And be amazed at the reaction 😊
#schongenial: How do you personally deal with employees who feel that they are not appreciated enough? Are there mechanisms in place to promote dialogue on this topic? How do you ensure that appreciation not only comes from the management level, but is also lived within the teams and among the employees?
Karin Reiter-Prinz: To ensure that employees feel valued, it is important to actively listen and address their concerns. If someone feels that they are not valued enough, I make time for a personal discussion to understand the causes and find solutions together.
As a company that has been awarded the seal of approval for workplace health promotion (WHP), we focus on the physical and mental health of our employees. This BGF process is based on mutual appreciation of the commitment of all colleagues. This also includes regular anonymous employee surveys, which allow us to react sensitively and at an early stage.
To promote appreciation at all levels, I encourage a culture of recognition in which team members praise and support each other. This is achieved through regular team meetings in which successes are emphasised. Appreciation is not just a team topic. For example, in the annual structured appraisal interviews between the respective manager and the employee, we discuss, among other things, what has gone well in the past year.
Appreciation has thus become an integral part of our day-to-day work.
#schongenial: Thank you very much for this inspiring conversation, but also for pro mente Reha GmbH's partnership with #schongenial - the world's first cross-company social responsibility initiative for a positive attitude.
