Agenda

Historically, health care culture has discouraged help-seeking, with staff often feeling pressure to appear infallible. These and other barriers make supporting this high-risk workforce particularly complex. To ensure staff wellness initiatives are meaningful and effective, organizations must foster cultures of health in which staff feel comfortable engaging with available supports.

Following interviews with 17 leaders representing eight hospitals about their experiences supporting worker mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers began a qualitative realist case study within one organization where investment in staff wellness continued to grow beyond the pandemic.

Through ongoing data collection and analysis, a strong sense of community emerged as a key factor influencing staff experience within the hospital environment. This session will explore how
recognizing workers as people and embedding inclusion into organizational priorities has helped foster community-building and support staff well-being across the organization.

In health care, a healthy workforce is essential to delivering safe, effective, and compassionate care. Supporting staff psychological well-being and promoting psychosocial safety requires more than standalone wellness initiatives. It requires intentionally designed systems that reduce preventable psychological harm and promote psychological health through how work is structured, managed, and experienced.

At Holland Bloorview, this work is being advanced through implementation of the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety. A critical first step has been conducting a baseline assessment to understand how organizational policies, practices, leadership behaviours, and culture support employee psychological health. This evidence-informed assessment is guiding the identification of priority improvement areas and the development of a practical action plan to reduce unnecessary psychological strain and strengthen protective psychosocial factors across the organization.

This session will share practical approaches to getting started, including assessment design, meaningful staff engagement, and early lessons learned to support implementation in health care environments.

This session will walk participants through a practical, evidence-informed approach to developing an Organizational Well-Being Strategy grounded in the CSA Standard for Psychological Health and Safety and the Health Canada Nursing Retention Toolkit.

Participants will explore how these frameworks shaped the organization’s methodology, from early concept development to an inventory of existing programs, resources, and organizational strengths. The session will also examine the data collection process, the selection and application of an assessment tool, and how leadership commitment enabled a clear, coordinated path toward a three-year strategy.

Attendees will leave with a stronger understanding of how a structured, standards-based approach can translate into a meaningful and actionable well-being strategy that supports both staff experience and organizational performance.

This session shares how Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada (VLRC) designed and launched a Joy in Work program grounded in the Institute for Health care Improvement (IHI) framework to address workforce stress, engagement, and sustainability.

Built around the question, “What matters to you?”, the initiative moves beyond one-time wellness events to embed well-being into everyday work. Structured around four pillars — mental, physical, social, and financial well-being — the program translates evidence-informed concepts such as psychological safety, recognition, and belonging into practical, low-lift tools.

Since launch, the program has increased staff participation in well-being initiatives and strengthened shared ownership of culture-of-care practices across teams. Early feedback indicates improved connection, increased conversations about well-being, and greater perceived support.

Participants will learn how staff voice, internal storytelling, and simple engagement strategies can be leveraged to design scalable, adaptable approaches that strengthen retention, reduce burnout risk, and support more sustainable workforce experiences.

Since the launch of CAPSA’s Healthy Workplace Program, interest has grown across the region in addressing a frequently overlooked area of workplace health: substance use and the stigma surrounding it. Stigma, reported by both staff and clients, particularly in health and social service settings, can contribute to increased workplace costs, recruitment and retention challenges, reduced performance and program quality, and declining health outcomes.

One-time training or policy language changes are not enough if organizational practices remain misaligned. Meaningful change requires tailored, comprehensive strategies that foster a proactive and non-judgmental culture that supports both staff well-being and the people they serve.

In this session, CAPSA’s Certified Workplace Health and Performance Practitioner will guide participants through a high-level strategic approach to shifting workplace culture and achieving measurable, lasting change. Drawing on experience across community health, hospital, housing, and related sectors, the session will share practical processes, key outcomes, and lessons learned.

Palliative care staff experience high emotional demands, with burnout reported by up to 66% of workers. This project explored psychological health and safety needs among staff at a large inpatient Palliative Care Unit in Ottawa, Ontario.

A five-item point-of-care survey assessed existing wellness initiatives and opportunities for improvement, mapped to the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. Findings highlighted strong appreciation for recognition, team cohesion, leadership check-ins, and shared wellness activities, alongside calls for enhanced psychological protection, dedicated support, workload management, and access to mental health services.

In response, a multidisciplinary Palliative Care Unit Wellness Committee was established, on-site counselling was piloted through the Employee and Family Assistance Program, and dedicated wellness spaces were created both on and off the unit. This session shares lessons learned and practical strategies for fostering sustainable cultures of care in emotionally intensive clinical settings.

Mental health challenges impact all workplaces and are particularly prevalent among trauma-exposed professionals, including first responders, health care workers, transit operators, and other frontline professions.

This session highlights the role of community occupational therapy delivered through a psychotherapy lens — “functional psychotherapy” — to bridge psychological insight with real-world function. Drawing on implementation experience across Ontario and British Columbia, presenters will demonstrate how occupational therapists support employees in translating coping strategies into daily routines, restoring identity, and sustaining participation in work.

The session will also explore innovative practices that enhance connection, support early identification, and promote sustainable outcomes. Participants will gain practical strategies to integrate these approaches into workplace mental health pathways to improve outcomes, reduce disability, and strengthen workforce resilience.

This session explores how the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) supports organizations in building and sustaining psychologically healthy work environments through its Best Practice Guidelines (BPGs) and Long-Term Care Best Practices Program. These initiatives strengthen person-centred care, improve recruitment and retention, and reduce burnout.

Through facilitated group discussion, participants will review recommendations from the Developing and Sustaining Nursing Leadership BPG and the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety. Attendees will complete a structured gap analysis and identify opportunities to integrate psychological health and safety principles within their local context.

Using the Leading Change Toolkit, an evidence-informed implementation science resource, participants will identify potential barriers and facilitators to change. Participants will leave with concrete next steps to advance psychological health and safety conversations within their organizations and learn how to join the global Best Practice Champions Network®.

Trauma- and violence-informed (TVI) care is an evidence-based approach that supports individuals who have experienced trauma, violence, discrimination, or oppression within society or health care systems. However, this equitable model of care is not yet fully integrated into many health services that remain rooted in oppressive and colonial histories.

Three women with lived experience as trauma survivors and providers of TVI care interviewed 23 interdisciplinary professionals — from peer support workers to medical specialists — about their experiences implementing TVI care in systems not always supportive of this work.

This session will explore how these stories, alongside related literature, can help move organizations toward greater safety for both those seeking and providing care. Discussion will focus on three key themes: healing the healer; sharing power while addressing stigma and shame; and practices of collaboration and resistance that support meaningful culture change.

This session presents the Mental Health and Wellness Champion Program, a peer-led initiative designed to strengthen workplace well-being, resilience, and team culture. Originating within the organization’s Workplace Mental Health and Wellness Strategy and expanded following a successful pilot, the program equips 37 frontline staff and two leaders with evidence-informed activities, resources, and ongoing support to embed wellness into everyday routines.

Champions receive protected time for monthly meetings focused on building knowledge and skills, sharing experiences and challenges, brainstorming solutions, and recognizing contributions — creating a robust support network across the organization.

While Champions do not provide counselling, they encourage participation in wellness initiatives and help colleagues navigate available supports. They foster psychological safety, engagement, and connection by leading evidence-informed wellness initiatives and team-building activities tailored to unit needs.

This session will highlight program design, implementation lessons, and insights into how peer-driven approaches can mitigate psychosocial risks and strengthen sustainable cultures of care.

Increasing societal tension and polarization are spilling into workplaces, leaving employees more vulnerable to psychological harm, harassment, and unsafe environments. For healthcare organizations, where stress and complexity are already high, these risks can be especially acute.

This session provides key guidance on how to combine legal tools, cultural initiatives, and strong leadership to build resilient, psychologically healthy and safe workplaces. Through practical strategies and actionable insights, participants will learn how to foster a culture of respect, inclusion, and accountability.

Learning Objectives

Participants will learn how to:

• Identify key risk factors for workplace harassment and psychological harm
• Leverage civility, respect, and inclusion as protective factors for psychological health and safety
• Implement mitigation strategies to create respectful, inclusive, and psychologically healthy and safe workplaces
• Apply practical leadership techniques and accountability measures to sustain positive culture

Key Takeaway

By the end of this session, participants will be equipped with actionable tools to strengthen psychological health and safety and foster a culture of respect and inclusion in healthcare workplaces.

At Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences one of the pillars in our 2022-2026 Strategic Plan is We Unite. We Unite highlights our focus on creating a diverse and inclusive workplace that empowers and supports our people and teams.

To support this pillar Ontario Shores developed a muti-faceted program that focused on three main undertakings:

1. Engagement and Connection: Focused on reigniting its core value of community through events, appreciation experiences, and the intentional focus of creating a culture of kindness.
2. Belonging: With input from staff, work focused on a diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) strategy to create professional development opportunities.
3. Well-being: With a refresh of its Integrated Wellness Strategy, Ontario Shores implemented numerous activities, resources, and workshops across all domains of wellness.

In high-pressure healthcare environments, finding meaningful ways to support staff mental health is critical. Healthcare workers face increasing levels of stress, burnout, and emotional fatigue. This presentation explores the role of creative workshops as a practical and evidence-informed approach to supporting mental health and wellbeing. Drawing on research and real-world examples, it highlights how creative expression can foster engagement & morale, reduce stress, and build connection among healthcare professionals. Attendees will gain insights into implementation strategies, outcomes, and considerations for integrating creative practices into healthcare settings. Bring a colleague along for this hands-on session!

Across Ontario’s workforce, one in three employees is balancing paid work with unpaid caregiving responsibilities, yet many do not identify as caregivers in the workplace. In health care and community services, this dual role is a significant and often invisible driver of absenteeism, burnout, and turnover.

This session reframes caregiving as a workforce risk factor directly impacting recruitment, retention, and organizational stability. Drawing on data and experience from the Ontario Caregiver Organization, participants will explore how caregiver strain contributes to role conflict, stress-related leave, and workforce exit, and why traditional wellness strategies often fail to address this reality.

Participants will gain practical, low-barrier strategies to better support working caregivers, including building caregiver-inclusive practices, equipping managers to respond effectively, and embedding flexibility into existing policies. Supporting working caregivers is not only a wellness initiative; it is a critical and underutilized strategy for strengthening workforce sustainability.

Health care organizations often struggle to translate EAP utilization data into meaningful strategic insight. This session highlights how SHN Wellness intentionally uses EAP utilization trends and Workplace Outcome Suite (WOS) survey results as core data sources for wellness strategy development and program planning.

Rather than viewing higher utilization as a signal of workforce deterioration, SHN Wellness reframed EAP engagement as a leading indicator of psychological safety, accessibility, and early help-seeking. Using a one-year, SMARTER-aligned health care case example, the session demonstrates how EAP utilization was reviewed alongside changes in productivity, workplace distress, engagement, and life satisfaction to inform priorities, adjust program design, and guide leadership decision-making.

Participants will gain practical insight into integrating EAP and outcome data to support evidence-informed wellness planning while avoiding over-attribution of causality.

Health-care workers experience trauma, moral distress, and emotionally challenging events every day — yet for many years, conversations around mental health in health care remained limited. Since its inception in 2018, the SickKids Peer Support & Trauma Response Program has become a leading model for promoting psychological health and safety in health care. This has included being recognized as a Leading Practice by Accreditation Canada and Health Standards Ontario.

This session will take attendees through the journey of building and scaling an innovative peer support program that provides 24/7 support to staff across one of Canada’s leading pediatric hospitals. Presenters will share the program’s origins, milestones, implementation timeline, and the lessons learned along the way — including challenges, and course corrections that shaped the program into what it is today.

Participants will explore how peer support has helped foster culture change by reducing stigma, increasing psychological safety, and empowering staff to support one another through difficult experiences. Grounded in practical experience and informed by trauma-responsive care, this presentation will provide valuable information and considerations for organizations interested in developing sustainable peer support programming within health care and other high-stress environments.