Overview

Based on the best-selling book, Minds Over Meetings, by Kody Green. This course provides valuable insights into managing mental health in the workplace, offering both personal perspectives and actionable strategies. It emphasizes the importance of creating inclusive environments that prioritize well-being and mental health, ultimately helping to build a supportive culture in organizations. Through this course, learners will gain practical tools to manage mental health challenges at work, including coping mechanisms for stress and burnout. They will learn strategies for effective communication, self-care, and advocacy, which are vital for fostering a positive work environment. What sets this course apart is its real-world approach, combining lived experience with expert advice. Kody Green, a mental health advocate, shares his journey with schizophrenia, offering actionable insights that apply to both employees and employers in various industries. This course is ideal for employees facing mental health challenges, as well as HR professionals and employers aiming to build inclusive and supportive workplaces. No prior experience is needed, but a desire for personal and professional growth is encouraged. From Minds Over Meetings Copyright ©2025 by John Wiley and Sons Inc All rights reserved including rights for text and data mining and training of artificial technologies or similar technologies Published by John Wiley and Sons Inc Hoboken New Jersey Used by arrangement with John Wiley and Sons Inc

Syllabus

All About Me and My Diagnosis

In this section, we examine workplace stigma affecting mental health disclosure, clarify FMLA and EAP protections, and design a personalized reasonable accommodation plan to maintain performance and well-being.

Mental Health Versus Mental Illness

In this section, we distinguish mental health from illness, review symptom clusters, and learn how early recognition and intervention can prevent long-term impairment and support recovery.

Stigma at the Watercooler

In this section, we examine workplace mental-health stigma, dispel myths about psychiatric care and medication, and practice respectful, evidence-based responses that foster inclusive, supportive dialogue among colleagues.

"Should I Tell My Boss?"

In this section, we learn to time your disclosure, find workplace allies, and use the Family and Medical Leave Act to secure leave without risking your position.

Understanding Accommodations and Your Rights

In this section, we identify EAP, FMLA and reasonable accommodation options, demonstrate how to request them through HR, and outline privacy safeguards that prevent retaliation while sustaining productivity.

Unmasking and Setting Boundaries

In this section, we identify workplace masking behaviors, trace their psychological and social origins, and develop boundary-based strategies that support safe unmasking, authentic engagement, and sustained wellbeing and productivity.

Burnouts and Breakdowns

In this section, we identify early cognitive and physiological burnout indicators, practise boundary-setting to limit chronic stress, and apply evidence-based recovery protocols to preserve productivity, mental health, and wellbeing.

What Is Self-Care?

In this section, we define holistic self-care, outline seven pillars; physical, environmental, emotional, mental, social, spiritual, professional: and demonstrate analyzing workplace stressors to craft balanced, personalized routines that mitigate burnout.

Care Team, Assemble!

In this section, we explore how clinical, family, peer, and social layers create a personal care pyramid, then place your own contacts on each tier to strengthen daily mental health.

Sharing Stories and the Realities of Mental Health at Work

In this section, we unpack accounts of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia at work, analyzing stigma's impact on retention while assessing FMLA and EAP tools enabling HR to craft supportive policies.

Leave Your Problems at the Door and Other Outdated Workplace Anecdotes

In this section, we identify common toxic workplace cliches, assess their mental-health impact, and practice replacing stigmatizing phrases with respectful language that promotes psychological safety and inclusive culture.

How Employers Can Improve Workplaces

In this section, we examine retention drivers linked to mental wellness and outline cost-effective programs, equipping leaders to foster psychological safety and amplify LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC voices.

How My Coworkers Made Work Possible for Me

In this section, we recognise early signs of a colleague's mental-health strain, practise empathetic listening, and support confidential disclosure to Human Resources, cultivating psychological safety, trust, and sustained workplace performance.

From Surviving to Thriving

In this section, we demonstrate how proactive HR documentation, safe mental-health disclosure, and policy evaluation improve accommodation readiness, reduce crises, and establish a practical gold standard for workplace wellbeing.

Redefining Success in the Professional World

In this section, we explore inclusive mental health accommodations, policy design, and data driven evaluation to foster psychological safety, reduce burnout, and improve retention across workplaces.