Workplace Mental Health Education and Training

View all upcoming mental health workshops

About our workshops

CMHA BC offers a range of workshops for workplaces. All can be tailored to your specific needs. Workshops are delivered by certified trainers. Costs range from $1000 to $5000 workshop depending on the workshop chosen, size of group, location and workshop length.

• Safe and Sound: Building and Sustaining a Psychologically Safe and Healthy Workplace
• Mental Health Works: Complex Issues Clear Solutions—Managing Workplace Mental Health Issues
• Mental Health Works: Advanced Strategies for Managing Workplace Mental Health
• Mental Health Works: HR Strategies for Stay-at-Work and Return-to-Work
• Mental Health Works: Issues and Strategies
• Mental Health Works: The Socially Supportive Workplace
• Mental Health Works: Assisting Workers with Mental Health Issues

Please contact us to discuss your needs.

Safe and Sound: Building and Sustaining a Psychologically Safe and Healthy Workplace

This workshop provides insight into Bill 14’s revisions to the Workers Compensation Act relating to compensation for mental health disorders and proposed OH&S policies to support that act. It also deals with addressing bullying and harassment, and how to support a psychologically safe and healthy workplace. This workshop is aimed at managers, supervisors, HR professionals and union representatives.
In this workshop participants will have the opportunity to:

• Understand what is meant by workplace bullying and harassment

• Learn about the responsibilities of employers, supervisors and employees with respect to workplace bullying and harassment

• Learn steps to address the hazards of workplace bullying and harassment

• Gain understanding of other factors which can compromise or enhance psychological health and safety in the workplace and their potential impacts

• Learn how to recognize and address psychological health and safety risks in the workplace

• Develop strategies to support a psychologically safe and healthy workplace

This 6-hour workshop includes videos and mini-lectures with key information to support participants’ learning. Participants are encouraged to attend the Mental Health Works Complex Issues Clear Solutions workshop in advance of this workshop as a way to provide a deeper and more meaningful learning experience.

Mental Health Works: Complex Issues Clear Solutions—Managing Workplace Mental Health Issues

This award-winning  full-day workshop provides clear strategies and practical tools for operational managers, HR professionals, and union leaders. Develop your skills and comfort level so you are better able to manage and support employees experiencing emotional distress. Topics include noticing changes in employee behaviour, communicating with and listening to the employee, dealing with performance and co-worker responses, and developing accommodations.

Past participants have valued:

• The opportunity to hear the issues managers face in the workplace, and their solutions/challenges

• Role plays, videos, various tools to approach difficult situations

• Strategies for Return to Work and how to properly address this

• Reference to health and safety

Mental Health Works: Advanced Strategies for Managing Workplace Mental Health

This full-day workshop enhances your effectiveness in recognizing and addressing mental health issues; supporting employees to stay at work/return to work successfully; meeting the organization's wellness and performance objectives; and understanding requirements and standards for workplace psychological health and safety. A variety of learning approaches are used, including group discussion, case studies, skills practice, videos, as well as individual reflection and creative thinking.

Past participants have said:

• "Knowledgeable presenter, good discussion, great handouts and reference materials."

• "I thoroughly enjoyed the presentations, workshop and my learning."

• "I valued group work on psychological safety factors."

• "I learned how to approach an employee with a mental health problem ... good breakout group discussions."

• "Small group role plays were valuable and insightful."

Mental Health Works: HR Strategies for Stay-at-Work and Return-to-Work

This 4 hour workshop is for human resources personnel who become involved in the stay-at-work/return-to-work of people with mental health issues, as well as broader organizational policies and practices in regard to workplace psychological health and safety. We use case studies to engage participants in considering approaches to situations including behavioural issues, fear of violence, perception of “faking it,” and the hostility of co-workers or supervisors towards the individual. We look at this honestly and candidly to assist you in your role of helping people remain productive at work.

Mental Health Works: Issues and Strategies

This 90 minute dynamic presentation is for senior leaders who want an overview of the business case for addressing workplace mental health, and the Mental Health Works approach. We discuss strategic considerations for ways to successfully enhance mental health in the workplace.

Mental Health Works: The Socially Supportive Workplace

This 3-hour awareness workshop is intended for employees and general audiences. Through pertinent information, engaging videos and group work, participants see their valuable contribution to each other’s wellbeing at work. Information is presented from a co-worker perspective, shedding light on often hidden issues that contribute to conflict and lack of understanding when an employee is struggling. This workshop helps everyone in the workplace, regardless of position, see the value of their contribution to building a supportive environment.

Participants are able to increase their awareness about mental health issues, consider how to reduce their discomfort in talking about these issues, and increase their ability to respond in a supportive manner. By focusing on the protective factor of social support in the workplace, this workshop contributes to the continuous building and maintaining of a psychologically healthy and safe workplace.

Mental Health Works: Assisting Workers with Mental Health Issues

This 3-4 hour workshop is intended for union representatives and stewards. It is a unique look at the role of the union in helping members through workplace conflict, accommodation, and disability issues. It helps increase recognition of the early signs of mental health problems, considers how to effectively encourage members to seek help, and discusses workplace  health and safety factors that may contribute to or be detrimental to mental health. If your union members rely on you as an advocate and confidante in times of needs, this workshop can help you increase your comfort and knowledge in fulfilling this very important role.