Supporting a Colleague’s Mental Health: Recognize, Respond, Refer

This session was rescheduled from May 7 to May 14. 

Supporting a Colleague’s Mental Health: Recognize, Respond, Refer is a workshop for staff and faculty that supports understanding mental health in the workplace and building confidence in navigating mental health–related conversations. Fostering a mentally healthy workplace is a shared responsibility, yet many people hesitate to engage in these conversations out of concern about saying the wrong thing or overstepping. This training helps address those concerns by clarifying roles, boundaries, and practical ways to offer support.

This session accompanies the Steps to Supporting a Colleague in Distress guide and focuses on recognizing signs of mental health decline in those we work with, responding with empathy, and referring to appropriate resources when needed. Participants are not expected to engage in therapeutic conversations; instead, the training emphasizes supportive, respectful workplace interactions.

This session is recommended for all staff and faculty.

This training will: 

• Provide participants with a foundational understanding of mental health and factors that influence one's mental health
• Help participants recognize signs that a colleague may be experiencing changes in their mental health
• Build confidence in engaging in empathetic and supportive conversations while maintaining appropriate boundaries
• Clarify when and how referral may be appropriate
• Explain how and where to refer colleagues to supports in a compassionate and effective manner

Register now!

Facilitated by: Isidora Nežić, MSW, RSW, Wellness@Work Advisor, HR

Questions? Email nezici@uoguelph.ca

The following training and guide used, the Student Wellness Education Centre's, "Beyond the Books" training as a reference, and some content may be similar.