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The Working Mind

Through stigma reduction and mental health awareness, The Working Mind (TWM) program seeks to change Canadians’ behaviours and attitudes toward people living with mental illness, helping to ensure people are treated fairly and as full citizens with opportunities to contribute to society like anyone else. Program participants have shown an increase in resiliency skills and mental health wellbeing, and a decrease in stigmatizing attitudes.

About The Working Mind

Stigma is a major barrier preventing people from seeking help for mental health problems or mental illness. The fear of stigma often delays diagnosis and treatment. If identified and treated early, mental health concerns can be temporary and reversible. Employees who understand normal reactions to stress and how to manage these reactions are more resilient. They have the ability to recover from stress, traumatic events, and adverse situations. It is possible to train people to recognize changes in their own mental health and become more resilient.

 

Why Choose The Working Mind?

  • Evidence-based, founded on best practices, research, and methodologies
  • Part of the largest systematic effort in Canadian history focused on reducing stigma related to mental illness
  • Solutions-focused, aimed at cultivating an environment where people feel comfortable seeking help, treatment, and support on their journey toward recovery.
A group of business people sit in a row in a training class. They look at an unseen speaker as they concentrate on his lecture.

Two TWM Virtual courses are available:

  1. Employee (5 hours)

TWM for employees offers practical knowledge to increase participants’ overall comfort level with mental illness. Upon completing the course, employees will be able to:

  • understand mental health and mental illness
  • recognize its signs and indicators, in themselves and others
  • reduce stigma and negative attitudes toward people with mental health problems
  • maintain their own mental health and improve their resilience.
  1. Manager (7 hours)

Managers, supervisors, and team leads have a special role in any organization. Building on TWM for employees, the TWM managers course gives participants the practical knowledge they need to:

  • support their employees’ mental health and well-being
  • enable all employees to be more fully productive
  • ensure the workplace climate respects and involves all employees, including those with mental health problems
  • encourage employees to seek help for mental health problems.

Each TWM Virtual course is delivered by a certified facilitator and offers easily applied scenario-based lessons, videos that feature people with lived experience of mental illness, reference guides, and practical handouts.

 

Topics covered:

Mental Health and Stigma

  • Define basic concepts related to mental health and mental illness
  • Recognize the impact of stigma and discuss how to reduce stigma and other barriers to care

Mental Health in the Workplace

  • Recognize and keep track of changes in your mental health and well-being and know when to take appropriate actions
  • Have conversations about mental health and mental illness with colleagues, friends, and family members

Stress and Resilience

  • Identify and practice coping strategies to manage stress and remain resilient
  • Identify and use available resources to support yourself

Supporting Your Team (Only available in the Manager course)

  • Identify and use available tools and resources to support your team’s mental health

These four modules are designed to be delivered as follows:

  • in the order given (as the content builds on each previous module)
  • spaced out within a time span of no longer than two weeks
  • in combinations such as two modules delivered back-to-back one day and the remaining two on another day; OR
  • all modules are delivered on the same day, with breaks between modules.

The Working Mind Adaptations

Fellow fireman cheering up colleague | Un collègue pompier encourage un collègue
The Working Mind First Responders
The Working Mind First Responders is an education-based program designed to address and promote mental health and reduce the stigma of mental illness in a first-responder setting.
During her visit, the mid adult home health nurse and the senior adult woman with cancer embrace and laugh together.
The Working Mind Healthcare
The Working Mind Healthcare focuses on providing workers in the healthcare industry with the tools to promote mental health in the workplace while also reducing the stigma of mental illness.
Young woman running in Barcelona | Jeune femme courant à Barcelone
The Working Mind Sports
The Working Mind Sports is an evidence-based mental health training program designed to address and promote mental health amongst athletes and coaches. This is an adaptation of The Working Mind.
A group of lawyers standing in the city | un groupe d'avocats debout dans la ville
The Working Mind Legal Sector
TWM for the Legal Sector Virtual is an evidence-based training, developed to initiate a shift in the way you think, act, and feel about mental health in the workplace. It is specifically designed for employees and managers in the legal sector. The virtual course offers an employee version and a manager version for supervisors and team leads.
Confident African male business coach holding online webinar, a group of diverse people involved. Online video meeting of multinational work team, video call screen with a many people profiles on it | Coach d'affaires africain confiant organisant un webinaire en ligne, un groupe de personnes diverses impliquées. Réunion vidéo en ligne d'une équipe de travail multinationale, écran d'appel vidéo avec de nombreux profils de personnes
The Working Mind – Facilitator Certification Training (FCT)
The Working Mind Facilitator Certification Training (TWM FCT) is a skills and competencies-based training designed to prepare selected candidates to meet the certification requirements to deliver The Working Mind (TWM) course in a virtual classroom setting.

UPCOMING COURSES ACROSS CANADA

Interested in mental wellness training?
We have upcoming courses fit for your needs and in formats that work with your life.

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Our Impact at Work

Toronto Education Workers Local
Toronto Education Workers Local 4400 (TEW) is made up of approximately 17,000 education workers working primarily within the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). TEW is also home to childcare workers
The Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs
The OAFC introduced The Working Mind First Responders (TWMFR) program, which is designed to promote mental health and wellness while reducing the stigma around mental illness in first-responder settings. Individuals
WestJet Logo
In 2021, WestJet teamed up with the Mental Health Commission of Canada to introduce The Working Mind (TWM) to their leaders. TWM is an evidence-based program designed to promote mental
Sancor Logo
Many of our leaders who have taken the training are in a position where they can have conversations about mental well-being and are equipped with the tools to recognize when
Interested in training for yourself? Need training for your Organization?