Course Overviews + Registration
We know that when we take the time and space to invest in the mental health of our employees that they will be more likely to succeed in their pursuits, be engaged in their day-to-day work and have the capacity to sustain commitments over time.
Workshops that address the curriculum are offered and added throughout the year. Please visit the U of A Events hub open in a new tab to find available courses. If you are interested in offering a workshop to your team that currently has no availability, please contact org.learning@ualberta.ca to discuss options.
View all Organizational Development Courses
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is completion of mental wellness continuum of course offerings within the We Care Health + Well-Being Program. ASIST teaches participants to recognize when someone may have thoughts of suicide and work with them to create a plan that will support their immediate safety.
Learning Outcomes
- Recognize that people are affected by personal and societal attitudes about suicide.
- Provide life-assisting guidance to a person thinking about suicide in a flexible manner.
- Identify the constituents of a safety plan to intervene in the life of a suicidal person.
- Demonstrate the skills required to provide suicide first aid to a person thinking about suicide.
- Appreciate the value of improving community resources including the way that they work together.
- Recognize that suicide prevention is broader than suicide intervention and, includes life promotion and self care for people thinking about suicide and for caregivers.
Delivery
ASIST is a two-day interactive and in person course. Participant guides will be distributed the day of the first workshop. In person attendance and full participation for both days is required for a letter of completion.
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| November 12+13, 2025 | Augustana Campus (Camrose) |
The course schedule is ready and registration links will be available close to the delivery dates.
Burnout to Boundaries: The Key to Life-Work Harmony (Integrated Awareness + Well-Being Series)
Burnout to Boundaries: The Key to Life-Work Harmony unites your personal and professional worlds as you develop awareness of how to create happiness in the midst of highly demanding work roles. We know that establishing healthy boundaries supports personal well-being, professional relationships, and organizational culture and yet keeping those boundaries (promises to ourselves) prove difficult. In this course you will create or update boundaries that can flex but not break when they are faced with demands, challenges and changing circumstances.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the importance of personal and professional boundaries in various contexts.
- Identify common challenges and misconceptions related to maintaining boundaries.
- Develop strategies for setting and maintaining healthy personal and professional boundaries.
- Demonstrate effective communication skills for asserting boundaries respectfully and assertively.
- Synthesize learning to create a personalized boundary management plan for professional growth and development.
Delivery
This is a full day, in-person course. Pre-course work may be requested prior to the start date.
Click on the course date to register. Registration for upcoming training will be available two months prior to the course date.
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| April 10, 2025 | 9am - 4:30pm | Augustana Campus (Camrose) |
| July 15, 2025 | 9am - 4:30pm | Campus Saint-Jean |
Mental Health First Aid: Standard (Face-to-Face)
This course is a pre-requisite to our ASIST (Suicide Intervention) course.
Mental Health First Aid: Standard is part of the We Care Health + Well-Being Program. It is an extension of Starting the Conversation: Introduction to Mental Well-Being toward essential conversations when a person is having a mental health crisis.
Learning Outcomes
- Reinforce previous education about caring for ourselves, our peers and our leaders for optimal mental well-being in the workplace.
- Recall or recognize signs of stress that may indicate a decline in a person’s mental well-being with the risk of a mental health crisis.
- Advance skills to have a conversation that encourages caring, connection, and available resources.
- Determine when day-to-day life stressors have moved from manageable with support to a mental health or substance abuse crisis.
- Identify the effect that this type of caring can have on one’s own mental well-being and when the caregiver may also be in need of support.
Delivery
Mental Health First Aid: Standard requires a total of 9 hours of education. There is mandatory 2 hours of self-directed preparatory work prior to the day-long in person delivery. Upon registration to the self-directed module, participants will have access to an electronic version of the MHFA Participant Reference Guide that will be used throughout the course.
Click on the course date to register. Registration for upcoming training will be available two months prior to the course date.| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| June 5, 2025 | Enterprise Square, Downtown, Edmonton |
| September 11, 2025 | Enterprise Square, Downtown, Edmonton |
| October 23, 2025 | Enterprise Square, Downtown, Edmonton |
| December 4, 2025 | Students' Union Building, North Campus, Edmonton |
Recognize. rest. reset.
Recognize. Rest. Reset. invites you to explore your personal path to happiness and wisdom by building awareness of how we respond to, adapt, and integrate information in changing contexts. This course provides an opportunity to discover and uncover your personal values and life purpose. It integrates self compassion, awareness of the types of rest and the reset of life-work balance.
Learning Outcomes
- Define factors that influence well-being.
- Identify personal values and how they shift based on levels of stress.
- Evaluate the types of rest to determine the areas that need improvement.
- Apply course concepts to develop a personalized plan to integrate these awareness in the workplace.
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| May 22, 2025 | Enterprise Square, Downtown Edmonton |
| November 13, 2025 | Campus Saint-Jean |
Starting the Conversation: Introduction to Mental Well-Being
*This course was formerly titled Managing for Mental Health (Leaders) and has been adapted for staff and faculty.
Starting the Conversation: Introduction to Mental Well-Being is a full day, in person course or a condensed half day virtual course. It is recommended as a starting place to effectively identify and respond in a caring and compassionate manner toward ourselves, our peers and our leaders.
Learning Outcomes
- Differentiate between mental well-being and mental illness.
- Understand the step by step process to become aware of and connect with care to ourselves and to those we interact with in the workplace.
- Determine ways to connect with intention to the person we notice and when the suggestion of resources would be appropriate.
- Apply the We Care: Health + Well-Being Tipsheets (Assistance Guide and Quick Look Resources) to case scenarios.
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| June 12, 2025 | Students' Union Building, North Campus, Edmonton |
| August 14, 2025 | Campus Saint-Jean |
| October 7, 2025 | Enterprise Square, Downtown, Edmonton |
SparkX MICROSESSIONS
Unlocking the Power of Virtual Microlearning
At the University of Alberta, we believe that learning needs to be flexible, engaging, and immediately applicable. That’s where microlearning shines—delivering focused, bite-sized lessons that fit seamlessly into busy schedules. We are committed to making professional development accessible and impactful so that faculty and staff can participate in expert-led virtual learning experiences designed to inspire growth and continuous improvement. These interactive sessions enhance retention through multimedia tools like videos, quizzes, and real-world applications, empowering learners to absorb knowledge quickly and put it into practice.
BUILDING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Emotional intelligence involves understanding yourself (goals, intentions, emotions and responses) as well as recognizing and managing the emotions of others. This involves a level of self-mastery (self-awareness and self-regulation) and social intelligence (empathy and social skill). Managing emotions so they are expressed appropriately and effectively and enabling people to work together smoothly toward their common goals, are key to building success in the workplace. This session will review some important strategies to help develop emotional intelligence.
Click on the course date to register. Registration for upcoming training will be available two months prior to the course date.
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| April 17, 2025 | Virtual |
Understanding Anxiety and Depression
Mental health problems are an increasing concern in workplaces. Participants will gain an understanding of two of the most common mental health concerns, anxiety and depression. This session will provide strategies for regulating one’s emotions and tips for supporting others who may be experiencing difficulties.
Click on the course date to register. Registration for upcoming training will be available two months prior to the course date.
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| May 15, 2025 | Virtual |
Beyond Stigma: Increasing Our Understanding of Mental Health in the Workplace
In today’s society, there remains a lack of awareness and sometimes bias, regarding mental health problems. This wellness session will assist participants in enhancing their understanding of the personal and environmental factors that can have an impact on mental health, the common signs and symptoms of mental health troubles and the most appropriate prevention and intervention strategies.
Click on the course date to register. Registration for upcoming training will be available two months prior to the course date.
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| June 19, 2025 | Virtual |
Compassion Fatigue, Vicarious Trauma and Burnout
This 1-hour workshop provides the skills and information necessary on best practices to support employees in managing the impact of compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma on their life and increasing their psychological wellbeing. This session will focus on understanding the signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue, burnout and vicarious trauma and identify coping and self-care strategies that promote resilience and psychological Safety.
Click on the course date to register. Registration for upcoming training will be available two months prior to the course date.
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| July 17, 2025 | Virtual |
