Workplace training — Melbourne & Australia
Mental health literacy training for workplaces
Help your team understand mental health — what it looks like, how to talk about it, and how to support a colleague who's struggling. Before things escalate.
What is mental health literacy?
More than awareness. It's the ability to act.
Mental health awareness tells people that mental health matters. Mental health literacy gives them the knowledge and skills to do something about it.
A mentally health-literate workforce can identify when someone might be struggling, knows how to have a supportive conversation without making things worse, understands where to direct someone for help, and feels confident doing so without fear of saying the wrong thing.
This isn't clinical training — it's practical, people-focused skill building. And it works. Organisations that invest in mental health literacy report reduced stigma, earlier help-seeking, and stronger team cohesion.
Victorian psychosocial regulations changed in December 2025
New regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act came into effect across Victoria in December 2025, placing greater obligations on employers to proactively manage psychosocial hazards — including the mental health and wellbeing of their workforce.
Mental health awareness training is a foundational step. You can't manage what your team doesn't understand. When staff — and particularly managers — can recognise the early signs of mental health challenges, respond appropriately, and reduce stigma, organisations are better placed to meet their duty of care and prevent harm before it escalates.
What's covered
A practical, skills-based workshop
Every session is tailored to your organisation. We draw on real scenarios from your industry so the learning sticks — not generic examples that feel disconnected from your team's daily reality.
Understanding mental health
What mental health actually means, the spectrum from wellbeing to crisis, common conditions, and why language matters. Builds a shared foundation across your team.
Reducing stigma
Understanding how stigma operates in workplaces, how it stops people from seeking help early, and what each person can do to contribute to a more open culture.
Recognising the signs
How to notice when a colleague's behaviour or performance may signal they're struggling — and the difference between a bad day and something more serious.
Pathways to support
Knowing what help is available — EAP, community services, professional support — and how to guide a colleague toward it without taking on a clinical role yourself.
Starting the conversation
What to say, how to say it, and what not to say. Practical scripts and approaches for checking in with a colleague — without overstepping or making assumptions.
Looking after yourself
Supporting others takes a toll. This module covers vicarious stress, boundary-setting, and what team members can do to protect their own wellbeing in the process.
Who it's for
Any team that works with people
Mental health literacy training is valuable across every industry — but it's particularly impactful in sectors where staff are regularly exposed to others' distress, or where the pace of work leaves little room to stop and check in.
Managers & team leaders
The people most likely to notice early signs — and the least likely to feel equipped to act on them.
HR & people teams
Build a shared framework and language across your organisation to complement existing wellbeing initiatives.
Healthcare & community services
Staff who support others daily need the tools to protect their own wellbeing and recognise burnout in colleagues.
Government & local councils
Customer-facing and frontline teams that regularly encounter members of the public in distress.
Education & not-for-profits
Sectors with high rates of staff burnout and limited mental health training investment historically.
Corporate & professional services
High-performing environments where stigma is often highest and help-seeking lowest.
What organisations ask us
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Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an accredited, structured program that certifies participants to provide initial support in a mental health crisis — similar to physical first aid. Mental health literacy training is broader and more flexible: it builds general understanding, reduces stigma, and gives your whole team the confidence to recognise and respond to mental health challenges in everyday settings. Many organisations do both — literacy training for the whole team, and MHFA accreditation for a smaller group of designated supporters.
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Most organisations run mental health literacy training as a half-day workshop (3–3.5 hours). A full-day session allows for deeper exploration of topics and more practice time, which is particularly valuable for teams with a lot of client-facing or emotionally demanding work. We can also deliver shorter 90-minute awareness sessions as part of a staff day or broader wellbeing program.
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Both. We run whole-of-team sessions where all staff build foundational mental health literacy together — which is particularly powerful for creating shared language and reducing stigma. We also run manager-specific sessions that go deeper into topics like early intervention, performance conversations, and legal obligations under psychosocial safety legislation. Many clients do both: a general session for all staff and a follow-up for leaders.
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Yes — and we strongly recommend it. Generic training that doesn't reflect your team's reality tends not to land as well. Before every session we talk to you about your context, what your people deal with day to day, and any specific challenges you want to address. The session content, examples, and scenarios are then built around that.
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Mental health literacy training is a meaningful part of a psychosocial risk management strategy, particularly in demonstrating that your organisation is taking proactive steps to support psychological health and safety. It's not a standalone compliance solution, but it contributes to a broader culture of awareness and early intervention that regulators and auditors look for. We're happy to talk through how training fits into your broader obligations.