Psych H&S Framework and Action Plan

Empowering Leadership

Our leaders have the core competencies, tools, resources, and accountability to cultivate a safe and supportive work environment that prioritizes psychological health and safety.

Reorient leaders to EFAP services, including monitored referrals, Key Person Advice Line and other available EFAP services. 

Integrate Emotional Defusing and Code White debrief facilitation training into leadership onboarding to equip leaders with the skills to support staff following distressing or traumatic events.

Provide annual workplace mental health training for leaders, with dedicated funding to equip new and emerging leaders with the skills and confidence to effectively support their teams.

Develop meeting guidelines to reduce unnecessary meetings, improve efficiency, and provide leaders with protected time for breaks and self-care.

Review and update leadership job descriptions to reflect core and role-specific competencies, including emotional intelligence and psychological health and safety (PHS). Incorporate these into recruitment and performance processes.

Promoting Psychological Well-Being     

Our staff are equipped with the necessary tools and support at the organizational, team, and individual levels to navigate psychological stressors, fostering a workplace where well-being is prioritized, resilience is strengthened, and everyone is empowered to thrive both personally and professionally.

Enhance communication and orientation efforts to ensure all staff are aware of the mental health supports and resources available to them (e.g. full range of EFAP services). 

Explore and implement supportive strategies and resources, such as self-care hubs, to promote rest and recovery during breaks. 

Evaluate existing e-learning to see how we can integrate PHS into the existing courses. Then, determine if additional PHS e-learning is required to reinforce shared responsibility for psychological safety.  

Cultivating a Culture of Mutual Respect    

Together, we take responsibility for creating a respectful and inclusive workplace where our actions and behaviours foster a culture of trust and psychological safety, enabling one another to feel valued and inspired to achieve their best.

Integrate psychological health and safety principles into existing e-learning and onboarding programs, including in-person Workplace Violence Prevention training, and evaluate the need for additional training to reinforce a shared responsibility.

Create an e-learning module to equip staff with effective communication strategies for managing high-stress situations and mitigating potentially violent situations.

Launch an improved SAFE reporting system to enhance tracking and follow-up for concerns, including harassment and discrimination. This will be supported by policy updates, refreshed training, leadership development, and development of a “Be REAL” awareness campaign.

Extending Foundations of Inclusion @KHSC training to include all employees, reinforcing a culture of equity and belonging.

Assessing and Addressing Risk

Through processes that proactively identify and address psychosocial risks in the workplace, we strive to foster a safer work environment that reduces stressors that can result in harm, resulting in a healthier and more engaged workforce.

Facilitate team-level PHS risk assessments to identify unit-specific and organizational opportunities for improvement, in conjunction with the violence risk assessment. 

Enhance onboarding to include awareness of resources to support ethical decision-making and moral stress mitigation for both leaders and frontline staff, with support from KHSC’s Ethicist.