Mental Health Leadership Skills for Canadian Workplaces

Business leadership has long emphasized strategy, finance, and operations. The canon is well established. Frameworks for competitive advantage, capital allocation, and organizational design remain central to…

The Pre-Flight Checklist: 10 Questions Before You Choose a Mental Health Training Provider

You’ve recognized the need. You’ve got leadership buy-in, or you’re building the case for it. And now you’re trying to figure out what mental health training means for your organization.

Stigma Has Three Addresses: A Guide to Recognizing and Responding

 Stigma lives in three places, within us, between us, and in our systems. Learn to recognize each address and find practical tools for creating safer spaces.

ROI of Workplace Mental Health: What Leaders Need to Notice Before the Spreadsheet

Most workplaces already pay for poor mental health at work. The payment shows up in ways leaders rarely label as “mental health.” A project drifts. Quality slips. Conflict spreads. A strong performer goes…

Redefining Strength: A Conversation on Men’s Health 

Not through technology, accolades, or physical feats, but through the quiet courage of showing up as our truest selves. For too long, society applauded the loudest, boldest, strongest among us, while…

MHFAI and the Mental Health Commission of Canada partner to bring The Working Mind program to Australia

Mental Health First Aid International (MHFAI) and Opening Minds, an initiative off the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), are working together to bring The Working Mind (TWM) to Australia – a program…

Employee Wellness Beyond the Basics: Innovative Ideas for 2025 and Beyond

Explore the future of employee wellness. Learn how technology, mental health programs, and psychological safety are transforming workplaces in 2025 and beyond.

Hindsight Lessons: Why Mental Health Training Transformed Our Team

When we first introduced mental health training in our organization, I thought I understood its role. I assumed it was preventative—a safeguard we’d put in place “just in case.” Looking back, I realize I was wrong.  

The ROI of Workplace Mental Health: Why It’s Time to Do the Math 

We spend nearly 90,000 hours at work over our lifetimes. Those hours shape our wellbeing, our relationships, and our ability to thrive. For organizations, they also shape performance, culture, and the bottom line.

Beyond Checklists: Embedding Psychological Health and Safety into Data-Driven Inclusion Strategies

Creating workplaces where people feel valued, respected, and mentally safe requires more than policies or training modules. It requires a shift from compliance to culture.

Identifying Burnout Early: Warning Signs Leaders Can’t Ignore

Learn how to spot the difference between stress and burnout, recognize warning signs leaders often miss, and apply burnout prevention steps like task re-allocation, resilience training, and employee mental health support.

Workplace Mental Health: Measuring Impact and Finding Gaps

Workplace mental health is a business priority. It affects productivity, retention, and overall performance. Employees who feel supported are healthier and more engaged. Organizations that ignore mental health…

Psychological Safety at Work: Creating a Culture of Openness

Psychological safety at work means people feel safe to speak up, share ideas, or admit mistakes without fear. It builds trust in teams. When trust is there, people are more engaged, more creative, and more…

Men’s Mental Health Matters: 3 Things You Can Do This Father’s Day 

A moment to celebrate. A chance to change the conversation.  This Father’s Day, we celebrate the fathers, brothers, uncles, partners, friends, and mentors who shape…

Managing Anxiety at Work: Tips and Tools for Staying Productive

Anxiety is something many people experience at work. Whether it’s caused by tight deadlines, high expectations, or tough conversations, feeling anxious can make it hard…

Building Resilience: How Training Can Transform Workplace Culture

Resilience is the skill of bouncing back after a hard day, a tight deadline, or even a major crisis. It is not a personality trait…

Work-Life Balance 2.0: Managing Boundaries in a Flexible Work Environment

Hybrid and remote work give us freedom: no commute, more choice over when we log in, and the chance to spend extra time with family…

Employee Mental Health Support: How Managers Build Trust

Workers first turn to their managers when they need mental health support. If the manager listens and directs people to help, the entire team feels safer and works more productively.

Crafting an Effective Employee Wellness Program: Essential Components

Employee wellness is no longer a “nice‑to‑have” perk. Organizations that invest strategically in their people see measurable gains in productivity, engagement, retention, and brand reputation. Yet,…

The Real Cost of Workplace Stress: How It Impacts Productivity and Health 

Workplace stress isn’t just an unpleasant feeling at the end of a long workday. In Canada alone, it drains billions of dollars from the economy,…

Absenteeism at work: Why Mental Health in the Workplace Matters?

Absenteeism at work is a growing concern for Canadian employers. We talk about absenteeism when employees miss work regularly or unexpectedly. High rates of absenteeism…

Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace: A Systematic Approach 

As organizations strive to enhance their work environments, psychological health and safety (PHS) is emerging as a critical component of overall organizational health. Implementing a…

Innovating Mental Health Solutions for the Trades with IHSA 

The construction and trades sector faces some of the highest risks for mental health challenges.  According to Statistics Canada, 33 per cent of men in the construction industry report poor mental health.…

Derek Baranowski: Creating Space for Honest Conversations 

Derek Baranowski has been a firefighter with the Burlington Fire Department for the past 25 years. For the past six years, he has been a…

The Power of C-Level Leadership in Championing Psychological Health and Safety 

A strong focus on psychological health and safety is more than a compliance exercise—it’s a cornerstone of sustainable success. While policies and initiatives are important, the influence of C-level leaders in…

Prioritize AND Strategize: The C-Level Call for Mental Health Action 

Mental health directly impacts productivity, innovation, and employee engagement, making it a critical focus for organizations. Yet, many still lack a unified strategy to address it effectively. Recognizing…

A mayday signal for mental health

Firefighter Steve Jones on the merits of The Working Mind First Responders course

Advocate and champion, Michel Rodrigue announces plans to retire as head of the Mental Health Commission of Canada 

On behalf of the board, leadership, and staff, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for Michel’s unwavering commitment to the MHCC and to working tirelessly to raise the profile of mental health issues in…

Why I Love Working in Psychological Health and Safety: A Personal Reflection by Liz Horvath, Senior Advisor, Psychological Health and Safety, Opening Minds 

When I first embarked on my career in the field of occupational health and safety (OHS) nearly 30 years ago, I never thought I would…

Why a Systems Approach to Psychological Health and Safety is Fundamental for Your Organization’s Implementation Strategy

By Liz Horvath, Senior Advisor, Psychological Health and Safety “We don’t know where to start.” “We have done some mental health training, but we don’t…

AuditSoft and Opening Minds Forge 10-Year Partnership to Tackle Psychological Health and Safety in Workplaces

TORONTO, Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ – Opening Minds, a division of the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), and AuditSoft proudly announce a 10-year exclusive partnership…

I searched for families like mine – and if possible, hope. They were here all along

So early in 2018, I started my own research. I hoped to find a family like mine, for whom things had improved.

Listen to Me – Supporting a Friend Experiencing a Mental Health Problem

Not having all the answers when supporting a friend experiencing a mental health difficulty is not necessarily a bad thing.

Envisioning the future of workplace mental health

I’ll share with you some observations and ideas on how to nurture a psychologically safe workplace. Some guidance for both the employer AND employee — yes, it’s a team effort.

Supporting the Mental Health of Retail Workers During COVID-19

We must remember not to take our frustrations out on retail workers. Let’s try to exercise a little empathy, so instead of reacting in frustration, we can respond with civility and respect.

Social Stigma and COVID-19: Protecting Your Workers. Interview with Dr. Keith Dobson

Maintaining an environment of civility and respect to protect mental health and lower the risk of psychological harm that can occur.

1:1 Conversation with Yourself

Start by checking in with yourself and asking, “how am I doing?”, “what has changed?”, “how long have I been feeling this way?”.

The Working Mind training goes virtual

“It’s more important than ever that employers have the tools to support their workers, especially since mental distress may be harder to detect when people aren’t working under one roof.”

Top three things I learned from Mental Health First Aid training

An eye-opening experience that made me look inward and assess my outlook on mental health and what living with a mental illness entails. 

The Working Mind at Scarborough Health Network

In 2023, 7.5% of SHN’s workforce underwent TWM training – a testament to the program’s growing impact. The team at SHN has witnessed a surge in interest, with the session’s waitlist expanding as employees and…

Mental Health Commission of Canada leads development of new program to support employers with psychological health and safety audits

The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) will see the development of an innovative new program that will support Canadian employers who want to foster the psychological health and safety of their workers.

MHFA and TWM at Purolator

“The credibility that the Mental Health Commission brings to Opening Minds programs was a key factor in our decision to implement The Working Mind for managers and MHFA.”

Mental Health First Aid at CGI

CGI began to prioritize mental health in 2015, primarily due to the growing recognition of the impact that mental health issues were having on its consultants and professionals, which ultimately resulted…