Free Online Crisis Training for Essential Workers
The Mental Health Commission of Canada has developed three crisis response training programs for essential workers: Caring for Yourself, Caring for your Team, and Caring for Others. Registration for these courses will be on a first-come, first-serve basis and will be available at no-cost for essential workers as defined by the Government of Canada here.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, essential workers may experience depression and heightened anxiety due to the stress on their own health, the health of their family and friends, and the future of their livelihoods. These programs are specifically designed to help provide individuals with the tools and knowledge to better understand their own mental health and the mental health of others.

Overview of courses

Crisis Response training – Caring for Yourself (2 hours) – Participants will be introduced to the Mental Health Continuum and the Big 4 Coping Strategies, to help learn how to better understand their own mental wellness, notice if they might be moving into unwell areas, use practical actions to help with stress, and know when to reach out to get professional help.

Crisis Response training – Caring for your Team (3 hours) – Participants will be introduced to the Mental Health Continuum, the Big 4 Coping Strategies, and Ad Hoc Incident Review to help learn how to better understand
their own and their team’s mental wellness, notice if they might be moving into unwell areas, use practical actions to help with stress, know when to reach out to get professional help and learn tips to support team members.

Crisis Response Training – Caring for Others (2 hours) – will focus on how to create a safe space to have conversations about mental health and/or substance use problems. This training will prepare participants to have conversations confidently about mental health during a crisis, with their family, friends, communities, and workplaces. Participants will also be taught the skills required to respond to a mental health crisis until professional help arrives.

These courses have been developed specifically for essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and do not replace MHCC’s existing training in mental health:

We encourage all participants to complete TWM, TWMFR, TIM and/or MHFA training once face-to-face courses resume.

Looking for mental health and wellness resources during the COVID-19 pandemic? Visit the MHCC’s COVID-19 Resource Hub.