Nov. 18, 2025 | Live Virtual Event
A gathering of experts and leaders exploring how to create workplaces where mental health is protected, respected, and prioritized.
Publisher
Workplace Mental Health Expert
Veteran Police Officer | Mental Health Advocate
Organizational Psychologist
Trauma Informed Conflict Management & Resilient Risk Consultant
Director of Workplace Wellbeing
Consultant and Researcher
Join Todd Humber, publisher and editor-in-chief of HR News Canada and HR Law Canada, as he opens Mental Health Talks with a candid reflection on why conversations about mental health matter in today’s workplaces. Drawing on his experience covering the frontlines of employment and HR issues, Todd will set the stage for a day of learning, dialogue, and practical insights. His remarks will underscore the importance of leadership, compassion, and resilience in fostering healthier, more supportive workplaces.
Todd Humber
Brian Knowler, a veteran police officer turned workplace mental health advocate, brings personal and professional insight into how trauma shapes leadership. In this session, he explores the human side of resilience, sharing lessons learned from frontline experience and his work with organizations across Canada. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how leaders can acknowledge their own challenges, support their teams with authenticity, and foster environments where open conversations about mental health are normalized. Brian’s message is clear: stronger leaders create healthier, more resilient workplaces.
Brian Knowler
Workplace stress, disruption, and conflict often trigger unacknowledged biases that undermine psychological safety and team cohesion. In this interactive session, conflict management and resiliency consultant Treena Reilkoff introduces the SRSR Framework (Self-Reflection Strengthens Resiliency), a trauma-informed, neuroinclusive approach to strengthening workplace mental health. Participants will explore how bias and stress responses intersect, practice tools for reflection and recalibration, and develop a personalized Mental Wellness Roadmap. Designed for HR leaders, managers, and teams, this session offers practical strategies to move from reactivity to resilience and build inclusive, psychologically safe workplaces in times of uncertainty.
Treena Reilkoff
Psychological hazards at work are as real as physical ones — and unique to every job. In this session, Tegan Slot, director of workplace wellbeing, introduces an innovative online tool developed by the Public Services Health & Safety Association to help organizations identify, assess, and control psychosocial risks. Participants will learn how to recognize job-specific factors that contribute to psychological harm, and explore actionable strategies to prevent it. Grounded in engagement, inclusion, and collaboration, the tool equips leaders and teams to create safer, healthier, and more resilient workplaces.
Tegan Slot
A chance to stretch your legs, grab a coffee, and check some emails.
Workplace processes like investigations, layoffs, and performance management are necessary, but they can leave behind hidden fractures—strained relationships, diminished trust, and cultural wounds that impact employee wellbeing. In this session, organizational psychologist and executive coach Beata Chami shares practical, trauma-informed strategies for restoring psychological safety after disruption. Participants will learn how to use inclusive communication, effective post-event practices, and collaborative rituals to rebuild trust and cohesion. Designed for HR leaders and managers, this session offers tools to move beyond surface-level recovery toward meaningful restoration and healthier, more resilient workplace cultures.
Beata Chami
Burnout isn’t just an individual issue — it’s a leadership challenge. Drawing on her PhD-level research in health psychology and practical consultancy experience, Maria Camila Umana explores how leaders can prevent burnout before it takes hold. Using evidence-based insights, real case studies, and quantitative data, she highlights the critical connection between leadership behaviours and employee wellbeing. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of prevention strategies and actionable approaches to fostering healthier, more sustainable workplaces where teams can thrive without sacrificing mental health.
Maria Camila Umana
Many workplaces mental health prevention programs fall short not due to a lack of effort, but because they often overlook the deeper systemic issues that shape employee well-being. True prevention goes beyond awareness campaigns and scattered resources. When done right, it can significantly reduce the risk of disability, turnover, and mental illness. In this closing keynote, Bill shares practical strategies to help employees build Personal Psychological Protection (PPP), while guiding employers on how to foster resilience skills that empower individuals to thrive both at work and at home. PPP isn’t a nice-to-have it’s a foundational element of any effective psychological health and safety program. Because resilience isn’t built in isolation. It’s cultivated through everyday interactions, trust, and a workplace culture that treats mental fitness as a shared priority.
Dr. Bill Howatt
Todd Humber, publisher and editor-in-chief of HR News Canada and HR Law Canada, will close Mental Health Talks with final reflections on the day’s conversations. He will highlight key takeaways, acknowledge the voices and experiences shared, and reinforce the importance of ongoing dialogue around workplace mental health. Todd’s remarks will leave participants with both practical insights and a renewed commitment to fostering healthier, more resilient organizations.
Todd Humber