Education
Mental Health Connecticut (MHC) is committed to supporting our communities statewide through educational programs and workplace wellness. We believe education is critical to changing the way in which mental health is perceived and how individuals take action for themselves and loved ones.
We leverage our long-standing expertise of creating environments that support long-term health and wellness for business leaders and their teams, community groups, schools, and others looking to make mental wellness a priority.
Mental Health Collaborative
According to Mental Health America, “Employers who value mental health retain employees, have lower absenteeism, and enjoy lower health care costs.”
Programs and benefits are fundamental. The next chapter of workplace wellness is activating all those great offerings within a mentally fit, thriving work environment for all.
Through the MHC Collaborative, business leaders are reaping the rewards of creating a psychologically, culturally safe environment. Evidence shows that embracing mental wellness in the workplace prevents stress and fatigue, improves employee engagement, lowers health care costs, and increases access to services.
MHC is platinum-level Bell Seal certified in Workplace Mental Health from Mental Health America. We partner with small to midsized companies in all industries to assess the current workplace environment and identify areas of opportunity where mental wellness can become an integral part of the organization’s culture and climate.
“Working with MHC has truly been what I envision as a shared partnership. One of the best parts of The Collaborative was the deep dive assessment and how MHC took the time to really understand what we needed. The team at MHC listened to our feedback, and when things had to be adapted for FCP Euro, it was clear that MHC was invested in this work being the best that it could be for the specific demands of our employees, and our unique culture and workplace environment.”
“Our agency partnered with MHC to promote cultural humility and DEI in the workplace for professionals in the disability field. Jacquilyn presented best practices such as creating a shared language and BRAVE spaces in the workplace, which 90% of the participants felt confident that they could implement in their programs. The content was easy to understand and naturally eased any nervousness around the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We highly recommend considering MHC for your workplace wellness initiatives!”
“Our agency reached out to MHC when we were undergoing a change in executive leadership and recognized that we needed help navigating the waters with our team. MHC was a great partner in helping us to find the space for our team’s concerns to be heard and with creative ideas to improve upon what we were doing.”
To learn more about membership in the MHC Collaborative, click here.
To schedule a meeting with MHC’s Director of Workplace Mental Health & DEI, email collab@mhconn.org.
Listen to MHC’s Director of Workplace Mental Health & DEI and MHC Collaborative client, Nicole Batista discussing this program on iHeart Radio on August 31, 2023.
For a written transcript of the interview, click here.
Custom Workshops
Creating environments that support long-term health and wellness is in our mission, and it is a daily practice at MHC with our direct service staff of nearly 200. MHC’s training team with a combined 60+ years experience deploy evidence-based and best practices to support our internal teams, as well as other workplace environments through unique, custom-created trainings, presentations, and workshops.
MHC has converted several training curriculums and best practices used in the mental health arena for us in any workplace environment. Workshops are typically offered as 60-minute, 90-minute, or 3 hour sessions. Virtual and in-person options are available and content is tailored to your team’s audience (executive, management, department specific, or all staff). Topics include:
- Stress Management in the Workplace
- Mental Health 101
- How to Create An Inclusive & Welcoming Workplace
- The Art of Effective Communication
- Developing A Self-Care Plan
- Recognizing and Mitigating Burnout
- Affective Time Management
- Wellbeing in the Workplace
- The Intersectionality of DEI and Mental Health
- Allyship and Antiracism
For a full list of workshop options and pricing, contact collab@mhconn.org.
Certified Trainings
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA):Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour training to teach participants how to support someone who is experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis. “First Aiders” do not take on the role of professionals, nor do they diagnose or provide any counseling or therapy. Instead, the program offers concrete tools and answers key questions, like “what do I do?” and “where can someone find help?”
The evidence behind the program demonstrates that it helps trainees identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Participants leave the training certified in MHFA and ready to deploy a 5-step action plan to help family members, friends, co-workers, and anyone they encounter who needs help or access to resources.
Classes are available for adults only (18 years of age or older) in-person or virtual (no hybrid). Trainings range from 10-25 individuals per class. Participants receive certification through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing as a Mental Health First Aider.