The resources on this page can help support the development and growth of policies, programs and procedures that support workplace mental health.

Mental Health and Employment

EARN Mental Health Resources:

• Self-Paced Training on Creating a Mental Health-Friendly Workplace: This short training explores strategies employers can use to support their employees’ mental health and wellbeing and create a mental health-friendly workplace. It includes additional resources to build knowledge around topics related to workplace mental health, such as common accommodations for employees with mental health conditions.
• Webinar: Supporting Employee Mental Health and Wellbeing: The Importance of an Individualized Approach (May 18, 2022): This webinar, which includes an  introduction by U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, explores ways employers can proactively support the mental health needs of their employees to create inclusive, productive work environments.
• Learning Guide: Supporting Employee Mental Health and Wellbeing: The Importance of an Individualized Approach: This companion piece to the May 18, 2022 webinar helps employers understand the importance of using an individualized approach to supporting employee mental health. It also explores how an intersectional lens is needed to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employees’ mental health, and includes statistics about the prevalence of mental health conditions among certain historically underserved populations, such as people with disabilities and the LGBTQ+ community.
• Webinar: Mental Health and Wellness in the Workplace (March 11, 2021): This webinar hosted by EARN, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and National Industry Liaison Group (NILG) Alliance, shared information on effective employer practices on mental health and wellness in the workplace with guest speakers Diana Gulick, Associate Director of Global Benefits and Wellbeing for Merck, and Nakisha Pugh, Senior Policy Advisor for ODEP.
• Webinar Learning Guide: Mental Health and Wellness in the Workplace: This companion piece to the March 11, 2021 webinar explores why workplace mental health is important, offers strategies employers can use to ensure workplace mental health programs are inclusive and provides links to additional resources.
• Checklist for Mentally Healthy Workplaces: This EARN checklist helps employers implement strategies to create mentally health-friendly workplaces.
• Case Study: Lead the Way: Merck’s Inclusive Business Culture: Learn about strategies pharmaceutical company Merck used to support workplace mental health.
• EARN Research to Practice Brief: Impact of COVID-19 on Employee Mental Health and the Experiences of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Professionals: Learn how employers used EAPs to support worker mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and how these practices can be used by employers of all sizes. The practices outlined in this publication were developed based on the experiences of EAP professionals who are members of the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA).

Other Department of Labor Mental Health Resources

• CDE's “Mental Health at Work: What Can I Do” Campaign: This Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE) public education campaign explores the roles we ALL play in promoting workplace wellbeing—from company leaders and coworkers to people with mental health conditions themselves. The centerpiece of the campaign is a public service announcement (PSA) that features four cast members—a CEO, a manager, a coworker and a person who identifies as having a mental health condition—discussing the role they play in supporting a mental health-friendly workplace. Watch the PSA and find resources and campaign materials including a workplace guide and posters on the CDE's website.
• ODEP's Mental Health Topic Page: This webpage offers information, resources and tools to help employers, people with mental health conditions, service providers, policymakers and others understand how to foster a mental health-friendly workplace culture.
• JAN’s Publications and Articles on Workplace Mental Health: Explore the Job Accommodation Network’s (JAN) list of publications, blog posts and article on the topic of workplace supports for people with mental health impairments.

External Mental Health Resources:

• Center for Workplace Mental Health: This organization offers a range of tools to help employers create a more supportive workplace and advance mental health policies at their organizations, including the “Working Well Toolkit” (PDF) and a list of employer resources. The Center also provides specific guidance related to employee mental health during and beyond COVID-19, supporting workers as they return to the workplace in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and recommendations for improving access to mental health and substance use treatment.
• Mental Illness and Work: This webpage from Mental Health America outlines eight strategies for supporting mental health at work.
• Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation: Workforce Retention, Modifications and Accommodations: Information and resources to help employers retain workers with psychiatric disabilities.
• Best Practices for Improving Workplace Mental Health: A Review of the Literature: A Literature Review conducted by the Global Social Enterprise Initiative at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business as a partner in EARN.
• My Uncommon Experience with a Mental Health Condition at Work: This Campaign for Disability Employment guest blog by Andy Imparato, former Executive Director of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, in which he reflects on his experiences working with a mental health disorder.

Resources on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder:

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHA) Assess Your Workplace: This part of SAMHSA’s Drug-Free Workplace Toolkit provides information on conducting a needs assessment to learn what types of substance use issues your organization might be facing and find approaches for addressing them.
• Mental Health America: Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Abuse: This section of the Mental Health America website helps increase understanding of key issues in the area of substance use and co-occurring disorders.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Alcohol and Substance Misuse: Links to resources on alcohol and substance use disorders, including information related to workplace issues.
• The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use: This KFF issue brief explores mental health and substance use issues prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.