Stephen Thompson, MA, CCWS, CHRS, EdD(c)
Director of Global Programs & ImpactÂ
In today’s increasingly complex and demanding environments, organizations cannot afford to treat mental health and resilience as afterthoughts. Fostering a culture that prioritizes both is critical for employee well-being and directly supports organizational mission attainment, innovation, and sustainability.
Mental health challenges like burnout, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and chronic stress are common in high-stress sectors such as humanitarian aid, nonprofit work, and social services. Left unaddressed, these issues can lead to high turnover, disengagement, and a deterioration of organizational culture.
The good news: Intentional strategies can create environments where people thrive even under pressure.
Below are practical, actionable steps organizations can implement to promote mental health and resilience at work.
1. Embed Mental Health and Resilience into Organizational Values
Action Step:
- Review your mission, vision, and values. Are mental health, resilience, or well-being featured explicitly?
- If not, update key documents to reflect a visible commitment.
- Leaders should model and regularly speak about the importance of mental health and resilience in internal communications.
Why it matters:
Embedding well-being into organizational values moves mental health from a side conversation to a core part of culture.
2. Conduct Organizational Well-Being Assessments
Action Step:
- Implement a well-being, employee experience, or resilience survey for staff (such as tools like the Headington Institute Organizational Resilience Assessment or customized well-being surveys).
- Use findings to inform action plans rather than simply collect data.
- Reassess at regular intervals to measure progress.
Why it matters:
You cannot support what you do not understand. Assessments provide a baseline and highlight areas for targeted interventions.
3. Train Managers and Supervisors on Mental Health Literacy
Action Step:
- Offer trauma-informed leadership training for all supervisors covering topics on recognizing signs of burnout, vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, psychological first aid in the workplace, depression, and anxiety.
- Equip managers with strategies to respond compassionately and make appropriate referrals to support services, such as general or specialized employee assistance programs.
Why it matters:
The manager-employee relationship is a key predictor of workplace well-being. Trained managers create safer, more supportive environments.
4. Normalize Help-Seeking Behaviors
Action Step:
- Communicate about available mental health resources like Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), wellness coaching, or internal supports.
- Host webinars or workshops on stress management, work-life balance, self-care, reducing mental health stigma, resilience building, or psychological first aid.
- Leaders and senior staff should model accessing support without stigma.
Why it matters:
Employees are more likely to seek support when it is normalized and not treated as a sign of weakness.
5. Create Safe Spaces for Connection and Dialogue
Action Step:
- Establish peer support groups, resilience circles, mental health communities of practice, or regular check-in spaces facilitated by trained staff.
- Include anonymous opportunities for employees to share feedback and experiences.
- Incorporate regular discussions about mental health in staff meetings, not just during crises.
Why it matters:
Connection buffers stress. When employees feel seen, heard, and valued, resilience naturally strengthens.
6. Recognize and Cultivate Resilience Champions
Action Step:
- Identify and empower staff members who model healthy coping, peer support, and resilience practices to become Resilience or Well-Being Champions within the organization.
- Create a recognition program where champions receive acknowledgment, badges, certificates, or leadership opportunities for staff care and mental health advocacy.
- Provide champions with basic training or resources to support colleagues informally and promote a culture of care.
Why it matters:
Recognition reinforces that resilience and mental health advocacy are valued leadership qualities. Building a network of champions creates sustainable, peer-led support and spreads positive practices throughout the organization.
7. Prepare for Critical Incidents and Recovery
Action Step:
- Develop crisis response protocols that include psychological first aid for staff following critical incidents (violence, natural disasters, client deaths, etc.).
- Offer post-incident debriefings, resilience support webinars, and referrals to counseling when needed.
Why it matters:
Proactive support following high-stress events reduces the risk of long-term trauma and strengthens team cohesion.
8. Integrate Well-Being and Resilience into Core Competencies
Action Step:
- Review your organization’s leadership and staff competency frameworks. Incorporate expectations around supporting mental health, modeling resilience, maintaining self-care practices, and contributing to a psychologically safe environment.
- Include these competencies in performance evaluations, professional development plans, and leadership training.
- Provide resources and coaching to help staff and leaders build skills in emotional intelligence, self-regulation, stress management, and peer support.
Why it matters:
When well-being and resilience are seen as professional competencies rather than personal extras, they become part of the organizational fabric. This helps shift culture toward a more sustainable, compassionate, and high-performing workplace where mental health is everyone’s responsibility.
Final Thought: Building a Resilient Workplace Ethos
Creating a resilient workplace is not about adding one more initiative to a full agenda. It is about fostering a living, breathing ethos that values mental health, well-being, and human sustainability at every level of the organization.
When resilience and mental health support are woven into your culture, competencies, leadership behaviors, and everyday conversations, they become part of how your organization thinks, leads, and thrives. They are no longer reactive responses to crisis but proactive foundations for long-term strength, adaptability, and success.
The world of work will continue to evolve, and challenges will come. Organizations that prioritize building resilience into their culture will not only better weather adversity but will also empower their people to do meaningful, sustainable work with clarity, connection, and hope.
Resilient organizations are built one small intentional action at a time.
It starts with the decision to care.
It grows through the commitment to act.
If you would like support in embedding resilience into your workplace ethos, Headington Institute is here to partner with you. Together, we can build stronger organizations prioritizing the well-being of those who make the mission possible.