Stress, trauma, financial pressure and burnout affect performance and safety just as physical hazards do, and they remain largely unaddressed on most sites. This course equips workplaces to assess psychosocial risk and to respond to a colleague in distress with practical mental health first aid. The approach is grounded in the pressures faced by African workforces, including exposure to violence, retrenchment fears and community hardship.
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Register for this course| Module | Topic | Main competency |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Understanding mental health in the workplace | Treating wellbeing as a workplace safety matter |
| 02 | Common mental health conditions | Recognition of the conditions seen at work |
| 03 | Recognising signs of distress | Early identification of a colleague in difficulty |
| 04 | Workplace stress and its causes | Understanding where the pressure comes from |
| 05 | Understanding psychosocial hazards | Identification of psychosocial hazards |
| 06 | Assessing psychosocial risk | Structured psychosocial risk assessment |
| 07 | Introduction to mental health first aid | Knowing the role and its limits |
| 08 | Responding to someone in distress | A safe and appropriate first response |
| 09 | Supportive conversations | Confident and respectful conversations |
| 10 | Referral and professional support | Correct referral and escalation |
| 11 | Confidentiality, boundaries and ethics | Ethical handling of personal information |
| 12 | Reducing psychosocial risk at source | Organisational risk reduction |
| 13 | Responder wellbeing | Self protection and sustainable support |
| 14 | Practical case studies and integrated exercise | Applied judgement in realistic situations |
| 15 | Developing a workplace psychosocial risk action plan | A plan the delegate can implement |
Each training day runs 08:30 to 16:30 with morning and afternoon breaks and a lunch break. Timings can be adjusted to suit an in house group.
| Time | Session | Key topics | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08:30 to 09:00 | Registration and introduction | Introductions, expectations, course overview, delegate experience of workplace pressure | Delegate introductions |
| 09:00 to 10:15 | Module 1: understanding mental health in the workplace | Mental health and psychological wellbeing; mental health as part of workplace health and safety; mental health against mental illness; effects on performance, productivity and safety; stigma and misconceptions; the roles of managers, supervisors, human resources and employees | Group discussion on stigma in the delegates' own workplaces |
| 10:15 to 10:30 | Tea break | ||
| 10:30 to 11:45 | Module 2: common mental health conditions | Anxiety and anxiety related symptoms; depression and depressive symptoms; stress related conditions; trauma and trauma responses; burnout and prolonged workplace stress; substance use concerns; sleep difficulty and fatigue; how symptoms vary between individuals | Reviewing behaviour and performance changes that signal a condition |
| 11:45 to 12:30 | Module 3: recognising signs of distress | Emotional and psychological warning signs; changes in behaviour, attendance and performance; social withdrawal; irritability; changes in concentration and decision making; signs that someone is overwhelmed | Identifying warning signs from short workplace vignettes |
| 12:30 to 13:15 | Lunch | ||
| 13:15 to 14:15 | Module 3 continued: ordinary pressure against situations needing intervention | Distinguishing ordinary workplace stress from distress requiring a response; recognising when someone needs additional support; thresholds for escalation | Sorting scenarios by whether they need intervention |
| 14:15 to 15:00 | Module 4: workplace stress and its causes | Sources of workplace pressure; excessive workload and unrealistic deadlines; long working hours; workplace conflict; bullying and harassment | Mapping the main pressure sources in the delegates' workplaces |
| 15:00 to 15:15 | Tea break | ||
| 15:15 to 16:15 | Module 4 continued: pressures facing African workforces | Job insecurity and retrenchment concerns; financial pressure; exposure to violence and traumatic events; organisational restructuring and change; work and life pressures; community and social hardship | Group discussion on local pressures and their workplace effects |
| 16:15 to 16:45 | Practical activity and day one review | Workplace scenarios analysed for mental health concerns, warning signs, possible workplace causes, appropriate initial responses and situations requiring escalation | Scenario analysis exercise |
What you take away from day 1
| Time | Session | Key topics | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08:30 to 09:00 | Day one recap | Review of mental health awareness, warning signs and sources of pressure | Question and answer session |
| 09:00 to 10:15 | Module 5: understanding psychosocial hazards | What a psychosocial hazard is; psychosocial risk against physical workplace risk; workload and work intensity; working hours and fatigue; role ambiguity and lack of control; workplace relationships and conflict; bullying, harassment and discrimination; poor communication; lack of organisational support; job insecurity; organisational change; exposure to traumatic events; remote and isolated working | Hazard identification walkthrough |
| 10:15 to 10:30 | Tea break | ||
| 10:30 to 11:30 | Module 6: assessing psychosocial risk | Principles of psychosocial risk assessment; identifying hazards and the employees affected; assessing likelihood and impact; gathering employee feedback; reviewing workplace data and trends; identifying high risk environments; developing controls; monitoring effectiveness | Working through a risk assessment method |
| 11:30 to 12:30 | Module 6 continued: practical risk assessment | A simplified psychosocial risk assessment covering hazard identification, employees affected, existing controls, risk factors, additional controls, management responsibilities and follow up | Exercise: complete a psychosocial risk assessment for a workplace scenario |
| 12:30 to 13:15 | Lunch | ||
| 13:15 to 14:15 | Module 7: introduction to mental health first aid | What mental health first aid is; its purpose and its limits; the role of the first responder; what a first aider can and cannot do; recognising when someone needs immediate assistance; staying calm; approaching a distressed colleague; creating a safe environment; listening without judgement; holding boundaries | Discussion of the boundary between support and treatment |
| 14:15 to 15:00 | Module 8: responding to someone in distress | Starting the conversation; using appropriate questions; active listening; showing empathy; avoiding judgement and unsuitable advice; recognising when someone is overwhelmed; knowing when to seek assistance; referral and escalation pathways | Demonstration and structured practice |
| 15:00 to 15:15 | Tea break | ||
| 15:15 to 16:15 | Module 8 continued: practical role play | Approaching a distressed colleague, opening a supportive conversation, active listening, responding to emotional distress, holding boundaries and identifying when referral is required | Role play in pairs with observer feedback |
| 16:15 to 16:45 | Role play debrief and day two review | What worked, what did not, and what delegates found difficult | Facilitated debrief |
What you take away from day 2
| Time | Session | Key topics | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08:30 to 09:00 | Day two recap | Review of psychosocial risk assessment and the first aid response | Question and answer session |
| 09:00 to 10:00 | Module 9: supportive conversations | Preparing for a difficult conversation; choosing the time and setting; opening the conversation; listening and asking well; showing empathy; managing emotional responses; responding when someone does not want to talk; avoiding stigma; confidentiality; boundaries; following up. The framework is observe, approach, listen, support, refer and follow up, with the emphasis on initial support rather than diagnosis or treatment | Structured conversation practice |
| 10:00 to 10:15 | Tea break | ||
| 10:15 to 11:00 | Module 10: referral and professional support | The limits of workplace mental health first aid; when professional assistance is required; internal support mechanisms; employee assistance programmes; occupational health services; human resources and wellness support; external professional services; emergency escalation; urgent and high risk situations; documenting concerns appropriately | Mapping the delegate's own referral pathways |
| 11:00 to 11:45 | Module 11: confidentiality, boundaries and ethical considerations | Confidentiality at work; what may and may not be shared; appropriate information handling; professional boundaries; avoiding diagnosis and treatment; respecting employee autonomy; when confidentiality must be limited because of an immediate safety concern; escalating through the right channels; protecting employee dignity | Ethical dilemma discussion |
| 11:45 to 12:30 | Module 12: reducing psychosocial risk at source | Reviewing excessive workloads; managing unrealistic deadlines; resource allocation; working hours and fatigue | Identifying work design changes that reduce risk |
| 12:30 to 13:15 | Lunch | ||
| 13:15 to 14:00 | Module 12 continued: leadership, culture and organisational support | Supportive leadership and manager awareness; effective communication; early identification of concerns; constructive feedback; psychologically safer workplaces; addressing bullying and harassment; reducing stigma; employee assistance programmes; wellness initiatives; peer support structures; return to work support | Group work on organisational interventions |
| 14:00 to 14:45 | Module 13: responder wellbeing | Recognising responder fatigue; emotional boundaries; compassion fatigue; secondary stress; managing personal reactions; knowing when to step back; seeking support; building personal resilience; preventing burnout among workplace support personnel | Personal boundary setting exercise |
| 14:45 to 15:00 | Tea break | ||
| 15:00 to 16:00 | Module 14: practical case studies and integrated exercise | Scenarios covering severe workplace stress, burnout, trauma after a critical incident, financial pressure, conflict between employees, bullying and harassment, job insecurity during restructuring, a manager concerned about an employee, and a colleague needing referral | Group case study: risks, first response, referral and follow up |
| 16:00 to 16:45 | Module 15: workplace psychosocial risk action plan and close | Key psychosocial risks in the delegate's workplace; existing controls; gaps; immediate actions; management responsibilities; employee support mechanisms; referral pathways; awareness initiatives; monitoring and review | Individual action plan, course review and close |
What you take away from day 3
On successful completion of the course, delegates will be able to:
This programme suits anyone responsible for employee wellbeing, workplace safety, people management or psychosocial risk: senior, departmental, operations and line managers, supervisors and team leaders, human resources managers and officers, employee relations and organisational development practitioners, wellness and employee assistance programme coordinators, occupational health practitioners, health and safety and SHEQ officers, and workplace mental health first aiders, peer supporters and wellness champions. It is also useful to those involved in organisational change, restructuring and retrenchment, workplace conflict, trauma response and critical incident management.
Recommended entry level
No previous mental health qualification is required. The programme is written for workplace personnel who may encounter employees in psychological distress, and it builds practical workplace skills rather than clinical ones. Delegates should be familiar with their own organisation's human resources, wellness and escalation arrangements, since the referral pathways covered on day three are applied to those.
The programme is run as practical, competency based training rather than a series of presentations, so delegates rehearse the supervisory tasks they are expected to perform on their own sites. Methods used include:
Formative assessment
Practical assessment
Certification
| Dates | Venue | Days | Fee | Calendar | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 to 30 Sep 2026 | Durban | 3 | R13,000 | Closed | |
| 29 Sep to 1 Oct 2026 | Pretoria | 3 | R13,000 | Register | |
| 30 Sep to 2 Oct 2026 | Windhoek | 3 | US$1,500 | Register | |
| 5 to 7 Oct 2026 | Gaborone | 3 | US$1,500 | Register | |
| 6 to 8 Oct 2026 | Maseru | 3 | US$1,500 | Register | |
| 7 to 9 Oct 2026 | Mbabane | 3 | US$1,500 | Register | |
| 12 to 14 Oct 2026 | Lusaka | 3 | US$1,500 | Register | |
| 13 to 15 Oct 2026 | Harare | 3 | US$1,500 | Register | |
| 14 to 16 Oct 2026 | Lilongwe | 3 | US$1,500 | Register | |
| 19 to 21 Oct 2026 | Blantyre | 3 | US$1,500 | Register | |
| 20 to 22 Oct 2026 | Mozambique | 3 | US$1,500 | Register | |
| 21 to 23 Oct 2026 | Nairobi | 3 | US$1,500 | Register | |
| 26 to 28 Oct 2026 | Dar es Salaam | 3 | US$1,500 | Register | |
| 27 to 29 Oct 2026 | Kigali | 3 | US$1,500 | Register | |
| 28 to 30 Oct 2026 | Kampala | 3 | US$1,500 | Register | |
| 2 to 4 Nov 2026 | Accra | 3 | US$1,500 | Register | |
| 3 to 5 Nov 2026 | Lagos | 3 | US$1,500 | Register | |
| 4 to 6 Nov 2026 | Cairo | 3 | US$1,500 | Register | |
| 9 to 11 Nov 2026 | Mauritius | 3 | US$1,500 | Register | |
| 10 to 12 Nov 2026 | Dubai | 3 | US$1,500 | Register | |
| 11 to 13 Nov 2026 | Online | 3 | US$900 | Register | |
| 8 to 10 Dec 2026 | Johannesburg | 3 | R13,000 | Register | |
| 9 to 11 Dec 2026 | Cape Town | 3 | R13,000 | Register |
Fees are per delegate. South African venues are priced in rand; other locations and online in US dollars. Fees exclude 15% VAT where applicable. Group bookings of three or more delegates from the same organisation qualify for a reduced rate; contact us for a quotation.
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