Leading Psychological Health and Safety | New IHSA Mental Health Toolkits, Resources and Webinar Series

Mental health is a core pillar of workplace safety. IHSA is launching a new suite of Workplace Mental Health Toolkits, resources, and a five-part virtual webinar series to help leaders, employers, OHS professionals, and labour partners prevent harm before it becomes a crisis. Designed for Ontario’s high‑risk trades, these tools support a Total Worker Health and Well-being approach, addressing mental health, substance use, opioid-related harm, and suicide prevention in practical, workplace-ready ways.

From fit-for-duty readiness and brave conversations to crisis response and system-level prevention, the new toolkits help organizations move from awareness to action. This initiative is further supported by Leading Psychological Health and Safety, a five-part virtual Compass Series that applies the Hierarchy of Controls to psychological hazards, placing leadership behaviours, organizational culture, and system design at the centre of prevention.

Don’t wait for the next crisis. Build your foundation now.

Free IHSA's Mental Health virtual learning webinar series for Ontario's high risk trades. Register Here!



New FREE Webinar Series

Leading Psychological Health and Safety. A 5‑Part Virtual Series

Managing psychological health and safety, mental health, substance use, and suicide risk in high-risk trade industries across Ontario.

IHSA Compass Series | Virtual Briefs introducing the Psychological Health and Safety – Hierarchy of Controls

About the Series:

This five-part virtual series supports leaders, OHS professionals, and labour partners in strengthening worker health, well-being, and safety by applying the Hierarchy of Controls to psychological hazards. Participants will learn how to prevent harm by addressing risks at their source before they escalate into crisis.

Move Beyond Reacting. Start Leading.

Mental health is a core pillar of safety. This series introduces a proactive Hierarchy of Controls framework, positioning leadership behaviours and system design as primary controls for preventing psychological harm. Developed in collaboration with the Construction Industry Suicide Roundtable and IHSA’s Opioid Harm Reduction Advisory Committee, this series is designed for:

·       Leaders and employers

·       OHS professionals and worker representatives

·       HR professionals

·       Union stewards

·       Anyone committed to safer, healthier workplaces

Session 1 | Elimination & Substitution

May 8 | 8:00–9:30 a.m.

Focus on preventing harm at the source by addressing organizational and cultural risks.

Topics include:

·       Building a culture of care and support

·       Reducing stigma through leadership language

·       Removing harmful norms and practices

·       Embedding the National Standard into your OHS management system

Optional Influencer Lounge: 9:30–10:00 a.m.

Session 2 | Redesign & Administrative Controls

May 22 | 8:00–9:30 a.m.

Focus on system design, policies, and processes that reduce exposure to psychological hazards.

Topics include:

·       Psychosocial risk assessments and surveys

·       Supervisor tools and monitoring strategies

·       Early identification and intervention pathways

·       Training, reporting, and accountability mechanisms

Optional Control Room: 9:30–10:00 a.m.

Session 3 | Worker-Level Controls

June 5 | 8:00-9:30 a.m.

Focus on supporting workers when higher-level controls are insufficient. 

Topics include: 

·        PPE: What does it mean from a PHS lens?

·        Suicide and opioid harm prevention

·        Substance use continuum 

·        Fit for duty and impairment considerations 

Optional The Training Room: 9:30–10:00 a.m.

Session 4 | Crisis Response 

Focus on supporting workers who are experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis on the job

June 12^th | 9:00-9:30 a.m.

·       Knowing how and when to make a referral for formal supports

·       Suicide intervention – “all hands on deck” required.

·       Substance use treatment – a continuum of care options 

·       Clinical and community supports 

 Optional The Care Corner: 9:30–10:00 a.m.

Session 5 | Integrated Controls & System Leadership

June 19 | 8:00–9:30 a.m.

Bringing all levels of the Hierarchy together into a coordinated, sustainable strategy.

Includes:

·       Panel discussion with industry and labour leaders

·       Lessons learned from early adopters

·       Human impacts of coordinated vs. fragmented approaches

·       Call to Action from the Suicide Prevention Roundtable and IHSA Opioid Harm Reduction Committee

Special Think Tank (9:30–11:00 a.m.)

Facilitated discussion: “When building a resilient workforce in Ontario’s high‑risk trades, where do we go from here?”