If you are in distress, you can call or text 988 at any time. If it is an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to your local emergency department.

Psychological Health and Safety Toolkit for Primary Care Teams and Training Programs

This toolkit aims to empower comprehensive primary care teams and training programs to promote psychological health and safety through a set of curated, evidence-informed resources focused on team-based activities, policies, and practices.
View Resources

What is psychological health and safety?

Psychological health is a form of well-being that allows individuals to think, feel, and behave in a manner that enables them to perform effectively in their work environments, personal lives, and in society at large (Samra et al, 2022).

Psychological safety is a condition in which people are free from threats of harm to their psychological health (MHCC, 2019).

Psychological health and safety is a way people interact with one another as well as the way working conditions and management practices are structured within the workplace (CSA, 2013).

Seven themes for workplace psychological health and safety

The resources in this toolkit are organized by seven themes, based on a clustering of the psychosocial factors identified in Canada’s National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace.

Organizational and team culture

Organizational and team culture

Workload and work-life

Workload management and work-life balance

Successful attractive female doctor or surgeon in scrubs standing with folded arms in front of an African male doctor or consultant conceptual of an expert medical team, on white

Clear leadership and expectations

Psychological protection

Protection of physical safety

Protection of physical safety

Portrait of doctor and surgeon in a hospital together

Protection from moral distress

Support for self-care

Support for psychological self-care

Resources

Browse through the list or use the advanced search filters to find the resources that best meet your needs.

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Article, Article (peer reviewed), Document/Report, Policy/Framework, Program, and Other (Poster presentation)* Icon

VITALS Tool 

A one-hour workshop that raises awareness about the microaggressions faced by medical students and trainees. Included is a focus on...

VITALS Tool 

A one-hour workshop that raises awareness about the microaggressions faced by medical students and trainees. Included is a focus on the VITALS framework (validate, inquire, take time, assume, leave opportunities, speak up) to help them process and effectively respond to microaggressions.

This link opens an external web page. The Canadian Health Workforce Network and the Mental Health Commission of Canada do not control the quality or omission of translations.

Author(s)/Organization(s)
Walker et al.
Tags
discrimination, microaggressions, communication
Audience
Trainee, Health-care educator/Trainer
Theme
Organizational and team culture, Psychological protection
Cost
Free
Format
Article (Peer reviewed)
Sector
Specific to healthcare
Setting
Home care, Online setting, Hospital, Long-term care, Private clinic, Community care
Identity
Indigenous, Women, 2SLGBTQ+, Immigrant, refugee, ethnocultural, and racialized populations (IRER)
Language
English
Guide/Tool/Toolkit, and Quiz/Survey Icon

A Practical Guide to the Art of Psychological Safety in the Real World of Health and Care

This practical guide offers insights that emerged from an exploration of the experience of more than 80 health and care...

A Practical Guide to the Art of Psychological Safety in the Real World of Health and Care

This practical guide offers insights that emerged from an exploration of the experience of more than 80 health and care leaders from differing integrated care systems. It includes a range of case studies and a wealth of tools and resources for teams.

This link opens an external web page. The Canadian Health Workforce Network and the Mental Health Commission of Canada do not control the quality or omission of translations.

Author(s)/Organization(s)
NHS Horizons
Tags
leadership, integrated care systems, psychological safety
Audience
Manager/Supervisor/Director, Human resource representative
Theme
Organizational and team culture, Psychological protection
Cost
Free
Format
Guide/Tool/Toolkit
Sector
Specific to healthcare
Setting
Online setting, Hospital, Long-term care, Private clinic, Community care, Home care
Identity
Not explicitly
Language
English
Article, Article (peer reviewed), Document/Report, Policy/Framework, Program, and Other (Poster presentation)* Icon

Time to Speak Up: A Graphical Depiction of Psychological Safety in Health Care Teams

An article that presents scenarios related to psychological safety in health-care teams, while illustrating barriers and modelling a culture where...

Time to Speak Up: A Graphical Depiction of Psychological Safety in Health Care Teams

An article that presents scenarios related to psychological safety in health-care teams, while illustrating barriers and modelling a culture where individuals feel at ease to share their thoughts and concerns.

This link opens an external web page. The Canadian Health Workforce Network and the Mental Health Commission of Canada do not control the quality or omission of translations.

Author(s)/Organization(s)
Houbby et al.
Tags
psychological safety, leadership, hierarchy, voice
Audience
Trainee, Health worker, Health-care educator/Trainer
Theme
Organizational and team culture, Workload management and work-life balance, Psychological protection
Cost
Free
Format
Article (Peer reviewed)
Sector
Specific to healthcare
Setting
Home care, Online setting, Hospital, Long-term care, Private clinic, Community care
Identity
Not explicitly
Language
English
Article, Article (peer reviewed), Document/Report, Policy/Framework, Program, and Other (Poster presentation)* Icon

Interprofessional Conflict and Conflict Management in an Educational Setting

This study describes interprofessional conflicts in a hospital setting from the perspective of three groups of health-science students. Results suggest...

Interprofessional Conflict and Conflict Management in an Educational Setting

This study describes interprofessional conflicts in a hospital setting from the perspective of three groups of health-science students. Results suggest differences among health professional students in how conflict is experienced and managed. The study concludes that these findings can help improve conflict resolution outcomes and well-being by informing the design of interprofessional curricula.

This link opens an external web page. The Canadian Health Workforce Network and the Mental Health Commission of Canada do not control the quality or omission of translations.

Author(s)/Organization(s)
Broukhim et al.
Tags
hierarchy, power, interprofessional conflict, health professional students, wellbeing
Audience
Health-care educator/Trainer
Theme
Organizational and team culture, Psychological protection
Cost
Fee
Format
Article (Peer reviewed)
Sector
Specific to healthcare
Setting
Learning environment
Identity
Not explicitly
Language
English

Disclaimer: This inventory is by no means exhaustive. The Canadian Health Workforce Network and the Mental Health Commission of Canada are unable to comment on the quality of individual programs or services. Consequently, their inclusion in this toolkit should not be considered an endorsement of particular programs or organizations.

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