The Working Mind Virtual

The Working Mind (TWM) Virtual is an evidence-based program designed to promote mental health and reduce the stigma around mental illness in the workplace.

The Working Mind is designed to:

• Increase your awareness of mental health;
• Reduce stigma and other barriers to care in the workplace;
• Encourage mental health conversations;
• Strengthen your resilience in order to maintain wellness;
• Help you support yourself and others

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.

2. 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 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 timespan of no longer than two weeks
• in combinations such as one module per day or two modules delivered back-to-back one day and the remaining two on another day OR
• all modules delivered on the same day with breaks between modules

Upcoming Courses

To view upcoming courses, please click here. If you do not see a course that fits your needs, please contact us at theworkingmind@mentalhealthcommission.ca to discuss other options.

Contact

To learn more about The Working Mind and to ask about course options for your organization, please email: theworkingmind@mentalhealthcommission.ca

Research

Implementation, Uptake, and Culture Change: Results of a Key Informant Study of a Workplace Mental Health Training Program in Police Organizations in Canada

Mental Health Literacy A Review Of The Applications And Effectiveness In The Higher Education Workplace

Opening Minds in the Workplace: Interim Results of a Mental Health Promotion and Anti-stigma Intervention - The Working Mind

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Special Edition

The Road to Mental Readiness for First Responders: A Meta-Analysis of Program Outcomes

The Working Mind: A Meta-Analysis of a Workplace Mental Health and Stigma Reduction Program

Workplace Antistigma Programs at the Mental Health Commission of Canada: Part 1. Processes and Projects

Workplace Antistigma Programs at the Mental Health Commission of Canada: Part 2. Lessons Learned