A Barrie social worker has opened a new downtown office designed to give local employers a faster option when workplace conflict, stress or crisis starts to affect their teams.
Family Matters Plus, founded and owned by registered social worker Olayinka Madamidola, opened its new location at 178 Bayfield St. on Jan. 8. Madamidola previously ran the business from a home office before expanding into the downtown space.
The practice focuses on workplace mental wellness, crisis response and conflict management for small- and mid-sized organizations across Simcoe County — a segment Madamidola says is often left without clear supports when tension or crisis hits.
While large organizations typically have established crisis response processes, many smaller businesses struggle to meet those needs, Madamidola told BarrieToday.
"They don't have supports in place. A lot of times they look past this and go to human resources (HR) or employee assistance programs. My approach with crisis and conflict support is more tailored toward immediate response, which can help bridge and prevent things from escalating," she said.
Madamidola has worked in the mental health field for more than 20 years. She describes the service as prevention work for both employers and employees — not therapy, but a rapid intervention that complements what HR departments and employee assistance programs already do.
"My role is to help focus on stabilization — through immediate intervention — which bridges the work for HR and (employee assistance programs)," she said. "This is critical support for employers as well as employees.
"When employers treat all issues as performance-related versus people issues, sometimes things escalate. And I want to help before it escalates to either legal or investigation," Madamidola added.
While client details remain confidential, Madamidola pointed to one example of a small team hit by employee tension and disengagement following organizational changes. Productivity dropped and several staff received performance warnings, she said.
"But once the emotional drivers were addressed, communication improved and productivity stabilized within weeks," Madamidola said.
The downtown location was a deliberate choice. Many small and mid-sized businesses are based in downtown Barrie, making the office easy to reach rather than a distant consultation, she said.
"Crisis does not let you know when it's going to happen, however, once I am reached, we can be available within 12 hours of the calls. It depends on the nature of the call," Madamidola said.
Madamidola says early, neutral intervention can preserve working relationships, boost morale and keep businesses focused on productivity rather than disputes — a pitch aimed at Simcoe County employers navigating ongoing staffing pressures.
