Workplace Education and Consulting

Resilience is an important source of energy at work. It sustains and nurtures our employees' wellbeing, growth and development. Leaders play an important role in equipping themselves and others with tools that can boost one's resilience potential. This 3 hour Workshop accommodates a class size of up to 25 participants and is an introduction to the role and practice of leading a resilient workforce. This workshop provides practical support as well as tips and tools to help leaders facilitate the health and well-being of the individuals and teams they manage. Learning themes include:

• Explore workplace resilience as a healthy choice for building overall wellness at work
• Identify your personal leadership strengths and skills in order to model the everyday practice of resilient leadership
• Examine the role of leaders in helping others develop their resilience
• Practice leader resilience skills that enable people and teams in their development of resilience (and receive feedback on practice) e.g. Coaching
• Identify tools, tips and practices for building resilience in others
• Create a “Personal Action Plan” for resilience planning and action

Supporting employees who are experiencing mental illness or an addiction can be very challenging for managers; many feel they are not equipped to respond effectively and appropriately. This 5 hour Workshop accommodates a class size of up to 25 participants and will help leaders build the knowledge, skills, and confidence to better support employees who are experiencing mental illness and/or addiction. Experiential learning activities and case studies support the following learning objectives:

• Practice how to approach an individual with possible mental health or addiction issues using best practices
• Explore how to manage team dynamics while supporting an individual with mental illness or addiction
• Discuss how to successfully re-integrate an individual returning to work after a mental health-related leave
• Identify strategies for building mentally healthy, resilient teams
• Develop an action plan to implement upon returning to the team

This two hour Workshop introduces leaders to signs and indicators in the workplace that there may be mental health illnesses and/or addiction. Discussions focus on the role that leaders play in championing the practices and messaging required for a culture that promotes good mental health. A class size of up to 25 participants can be accommodated. Learning themes include:

• Business imperatives related to mental health in the workplace
• Signs and indicators of mental health issues most common in the workplace
• Strategies for dealing with mental health related issues among employees
• Proactive measures for building positive mental wellbeing in the workplace

In January 2012, the Mental Health Commission of Canada championed the release of the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. This standard is the first of its kind in the world and is intended to form part of a critical aspect of occupational health and safety for workers. It is a set of voluntary guidelines outlining specific requirements for a documented and systematic approach to develop and sustain a psychologically healthy and safe workplace. Implementation of the Standard supports improvements in productivity, financial performance, risk management, employee retention, organizational culture, and brand.

CAMH is an early adopter of the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace and has a history of success in hiring employees with experience living with mental illness and addictions. This 1 hour presentation introduces participants to the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace in a way that simplifies it and makes it accessible. This presentation discusses the structured approach to implementation CAMH followed along with lessons learned and recommendations.

Providing accessible and excellent customer service is a core value for all public and private services.

Meeting this core value can also be challenging for many organizations. Sometimes customers do not request services in typical ways, and on occasion may display anger, aggression, or a heightened emotional state. There can also be communication challenges preventing front-line staff from understanding customer requests.

Combining CAMH’s expertise in public education and clinical training, we have developed a customer service training program to help front-line staff address and de-escalate challenging situations through understanding, empathy, and a respectful response.

This program can be customized to the unique setting and needs of your organization, aligning with your mission, vision, core values, and the people that you serve. Our training approach includes a thorough needs assessment to identify and measure areas for development, along with a robust evaluation process. By understanding the specific needs of your organization, our education experts can develop learning tools and simulation training that will be highly relevant to meeting your goals.

Originally developed and piloted for the City of Toronto, this program has been acclaimed in both evaluation and anecdotal feedback.  In particular, attendees appreciate the use of real-world scenarios and relevant, simulation-based learning.

The full program complement of available services includes:

1. Evaluation of current employee perceptions, confidence level, and working context
2. Awareness of mental health and addiction issues
3. Reducing  stigma and discrimination
4. Utilizing  a trauma-informed approach to build empathy
5. Communication strategies
6. De-escalation skills
7. Evaluation plan and report
8. Leadership support activities
9. Consultation on activities for sustainability

Informed by best practices in education, CAMH trainers develop learning objectives that focus on simulation, and use an interactive method to foster audience engagement and adoption of the curriculum. Training also includes an evaluation process that allows senior leadership to assess their return on investment, as well as develop strategies for future team development.

Participants in the CAMH customer service training program will leave the sessions with enhanced confidence, peer support, and an enhanced comfort level to effectively cope with the most challenging client interactions in the workplace. Participants can also anticipate improved customer relations, as well as an improved quality of workplace life.