Looking for mental health awareness ideas or workplace wellness programs but not sure where to start? This post will focus on the content, format, and timing of an internal mental health conference or workplace mental health event. We will also share links for other workplace mental health events including virtual presentations for Company ERGs.
Dominion Energy, a repeat client, hired me as a mental health keynote speaker for their first-ever workplace mental health conference
Since other corporations are interested in workplace mental health and promoting their EAP resources and benefits, I thought I’d share the event agenda and feedback in case you want to have one at your place of business.
Dominion put this event together in just 30 days. And despite the fact there was little time to promote it, there were over 250 in the room plus the 200 who watched it via the internal streaming network for an audience of nearly 500 which was right at capacity.
Mid-November was the timing and several employees mentioned that this was a great time of year to have such an event. So do make a note of that. Below the photo of me and Leslie, you’ll see the agenda for this workplace mental health event.
See Our Mental Health Speaker for Workplace Programs
See Mental health awareness activities for employees
Workplace Mental Health Speaker Event Agenda for Dominion Energy
This event was planned internally by the HR and Safety leaders in the photo at the very top of the page. It was held in person with an online option for employees located in other states who watched the streamed version and someone manned the computer to share their comments and questions. You can download the Agenda in pdf below.
- 8:00 AM: Registration
- 8:30 AM: Welcome
- 8:35 AM: Opening Remarks (LaToya S-VP Employee Engagement & Talent Strategy)
- 8:45 AM: Keynote – The Mask We Wear to Work: Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health in the Workplace (Mental Health Keynote Speaker: AnneMoss Rogers)
- 10:50 AM: Break
- 11:00 AM: Understanding Anxiety and PTSD (Speaker: Jessica Bolger, Psy.D.)
- Noon: Lunch
- 12:30 PM: Safety & Mental Health: Making the Connection (Leslie H-Manager, Corporate Safety & Health Services)
- 1:05 PM: Safety Navigator App (Julie B)
- 1:15 PM: Carelon Employee Assistance Program Resources and Services (Scarlett M)
- 1:30 PM: Break
- 1:45 PM: Men’s Mental Health Compared to Women’s Mental Health (Speaker: James Harris LPC )
- 2:45 PM: Final Remarks
- 3:00 PM: Conference concludes
Mental Health Speakers for Workplace Event Agenda for Dominion Energy.
“Dominion Energy welcomed AnneMoss to be the keynote speaker at its inaugural Mental Health Awareness Conference in Richmond, Virginia. AnneMoss brings passion, authenticity, and credibility to every presentation. Her unique blend of vulnerability, humor, and knowledge captivates audiences, leaving them wanting to hear more. Her innate talent as a speaker and ability to intuitively understand the needs of her audience make her a highly sought-after resource. I highly recommend AnneMoss and look forward to the next opportunity to work with her.”
—Leslie T. Hanson, RN, BS, MHRM, Manager-Corporate Safety & Health Services, Dominion Energy
Some of the Coping Strategies Shared by Attendees
We had several interactive exercises and one of them was asking people what their healthy coping strategies were. Here are a few mental health strategies employees shared when faced with an adverse event.
- I get into Angry Cleaning!
- I turn to YouTube and do line dances with random groups of people on my screen
- I listen to jazz music!
- Throwing a medicine ball when I’m feeling frustrated or upset is really awesome!
- I have a personal concert of my favorite music – jazz, R&B, country
- I’ve learned how to fish.
- Doing puzzles, classic rock music, four-wheeling
- Learned how to play Pickleball
- I play cornhole
- I go on a long trail run and let my mind wander and intermittently focus on random things like my stride my breathing my arm movement. Just run and run.
- Has anyone tried tapping? It helps get me grounded again. The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), is a method that involves tapping on specific points of the body to help manage emotions and reduce stress and anxiety
Workplace Mental Health Keynote Speaker Topic
The Mask We Wear to Work: Fighting the stigma of mental health in the workplace
“I wish everyone would relax a little. Life ain’t a board meeting.”
– From the rap song,” Desire,” by Charles Aubrey Rogers
Audience: Employees and managers at workplaces
Time: 1 to 1.5 hours
Quick Outline:
- AnneMoss’s story
- About Mental Health and work/life
- About Suicide
- Your Mental Health with tips and strategies
- Resources
Topic Description:
No one’s life goes perfectly for an entire professional career. Divorce, illness, trauma, death of a loved one, one’s own addiction, or that of a loved one can disrupt a person’s mental health and negatively affect productivity and professional goals.
As co-workers and managers, how do we respond to someone experiencing a crisis? What tools and resources do people need to manage difficult times and find support at work? How do we build resilience, and find the right self-care strategies to manage anxiety, adversity, change, hybrid environments, and future leadership demands? We start by talking about it and learning new but doable skills.
Takeaways:
- Coping strategies & DBT skills for managing adversity, avoiding conflict and burnout
- Signs a co-worker, friend, or family member might be struggling or experiencing a crisis and what to say/ do (script practice w/ 2 volunteers)
- Learn the most important skill for managing your emotional well-being
- How to allow others to feel heard and therefore feel valued
- Life events that make people more vulnerable to despair
Tell me one thing you learned…
I ask attendees at the end to tell me one thing they learned. And these are some of the responses.
More index cards here.
AnneMoss Rogers primarily focuses on these topics with these audiences:
- Mental health programs for workplaces (Corporations and Government Agencies)
- Suicide prevention training for educators (K-12 and Universities)
- Keynote presentations for conferences (Any conference that wants to highlight mental health and suicide prevention)
Examples of other workplace mental health events:
- Workplace Mental Health Keynote speaker for Person County, NC
- Private Salon Dinner for SHRM in Chicago, IL
- Workplace Wellness for Managers, Club Management Assoc. of America
- Virtual Mental Health & Suicide Awareness Presentation for TruckStop.com
- Suicide Prevention Strategies for the Workplace, BDO USA, Insurance and Tax Advisory Firm
- Virtual: Suicide Prevention Speaker for Horace Mann Insurance, Allyship ERG
AnneMoss Rogers is a leading wellness and suicide education expert and one of the top mental health speakers and suicide prevention speakers. Known for her powerful, motivational keynotes, AnneMoss combines her personal story of loss with proven strategies to help organizations build a wellness culture that drives results and saves lives. She speaks at conferences, workplaces, K-12 schools, and universities, delivering impactful presentations that inspire change and promote mental health awareness.
AnneMoss does this work in memory of her son, Charles, who struggled with anxiety, depression, and addiction, and died by suicide at age 20 in 2015.