Mental Health [Psychosocial] Safety – The Competency Skills
for Managers
1. Prioritising Mental Health in the Workplace
Toxic skill level – [Team members experience]"My
manager openly mocked my anxiety during a team meeting, making
jokes and belittling my concerns. It left me feeling
humiliated and reluctant to speak up about my mental health
issues again."
Low skill level – “We don't have any specific
strategies for supporting mental health. We expect our
employees to manage their own well-being.”
High skill level – “I prioritise mental health by
regularly checking in with team members, providing resources
for stress reduction and self-care, and promoting a healthy
work-life balance. We also encourage open communication and
have a confidential reporting system for any mental health
concerns.”
I invite you to assess yourself in The Ten Manager
Competencies for Psychosocial Safety
Speaking and Workshop Topics
1. Am I Safe to Talk To? – one-hour keynote
How do you have a caring conversation with someone – without
being awkward, saying the wrong thing, trying to solve their
problem or talking about yourself. The RUOK focus has been
outstanding in creating awareness of mental health
challenges. The RUOK question seems simple enough, but to be
effective it relies on substantial skills on the part of the
person who is asking the question. Because in the moment
when the question is asked, the person will make a snap
decision – “Is this person safe for me to share what is
going on for me?” So the question is – “Are you safe to talk
to?”
Learn More
2.Taming the Stress and Burnout Monster – one-hour
keynote
Finding your ‘C’ Space to Have a Happier Life Many people do
not function anywhere near their optimal capacity because of
their inability to handle their stress and fear monster. In
other words, their inability to have composure and regulate
their reaction to stress, change, uncertainty and when
things don’t go the way they want or expect them to. This
wastes so much energy and leads to substantial amounts of
conflict from managers and team members.
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3.SAFE Conversations @ Work – three-hour workshop
The "SAFE Conversations @ Work" workshop is a three-hour
in-person or virtual interactive session led by Bill Carson,
a certified master mental health first aid instructor and
resilience coach. The workshop aims to equip managers and
leaders with the skills to engage in compassionate and
person-centered conversations with team members who may be
experiencing mental and emotional challenges or
difficulties. The training focuses on separating personal
issues from performance issues, understanding the continuum
of mental health and illness/injury, recognizing signs of
struggle, building trust and empathy, asking appropriate
questions, active listening, empowering individuals to seek
assistance, and managing one's own self-care. The workshop
provides customized activities, skills practice, and
additional resources for managers to cultivate an authentic
and caring workplace culture.
Learn More