Managers play a pivotal role in shaping a workplace culture that prioritizes mental health and wellbeing. This virtual course, “Manager Training #1: Managing for Mental Health in the Workplace,” is a foundational module within NAMI Maine’s The Way Work Should Be initiative. It is specifically designed to equip managers, supervisors, and team leaders with the essential knowledge, skills, and confidence to foster a mentally healthy environment for their teams. Participants will learn to recognize early signs of mental health challenges in employees, understand their role in providing support while respecting boundaries, and confidently navigate conversations about mental health. Through practical video lessons,insightful written materials, scenario-based learning, and short quizzes, this training will empower managers to reduce stigma, promote help-seeking behaviors, and implement supportive practices that contribute to a more engaged, resilient,and productive workforce. Upon successful completion, participants will receive a certificate, underscoring their commitment to leading with empathy and fostering a workplace where every team member can thrive.
Focus Topics:
- The Manager’s Critical Role: Understanding the significant impact managers have on team members’ mental health and the overall workplace environment.
- Foundations of Workplace Mental Health: Key concepts, common mental health conditions (e.g., stress, burnout, anxiety, depression), and their potential impact on work performance.
- Recognizing Early Warning Signs: Learning to identify changes in behavior, performance, or engagement that may indicate an employee is struggling, while respecting privacy.
- Initiating Supportive Conversations (The CARE Model): A framework for approaching employees with Concern, Asking open questions, Referring to resources, and Encouraging help-seeking, all while maintaining professional boundaries.
- Active Listening and Empathetic Communication: Developing skills to listen non-judgmentally and respond with empathy when an employee shares concerns.
- Reducing Stigma in Your Team: Strategies for creating a safe and open environment where employees feel comfortable discussing mental health without fear of negative repercussions.
- Knowing Your Resources and Making Effective Referrals: Understanding available company EAPs (Employee Assistance Programs), HR policies, NAMI Maine resources, and community supports, and how to guide employees to them.
- Managing Performance with Mental Health in Mind: Addressing performance issues compassionately and constructively when mental health may be a factor.
- Setting a Positive Example: Manager Self-Care: Recognizing the importance of managers’ own mental health and modeling healthy behaviors.
- Legal and Ethical Considerations: Understanding confidentiality, privacy rights, and reasonable accommodations in the context of employee mental health.
- Alignment with “The Way Work Should Be”: Reinforcing how proactive mental health management aligns with NAMI Maine’s vision for healthier, more productive, and stigma-free workplaces.
Who Should Take This Course?
This course is specifically designed for and essential for individuals in any role that includes managing or supervising other employees. This includes:
- Front-line Supervisors
- Team Leaders
- Department Managers
- Project Managers
- Human Resources Managers (as a foundational understanding to support other managers)
- Executives and Senior Leaders (to understand and champion these practices)
- Small Business Owners who manage staff
- Anyone responsible for the work, wellbeing, and development of other employees across any industry
