Creating a mentally safe workplace in a legal environment requires moving beyond policy to lived practice. Drawing on experience within the Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA), this presentation demonstrates how Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) supports early intervention and normalises mental health conversations in a profession defined by high pressure, regulatory accountability and emotional labour. In the federal government context, these pressures are compounded by public accountability, complex decision-making, and the need to deliver outcomes in environments of heightened scrutiny.
Importantly, unaddressed mental health challenges can affect judgment, communication, and decision-making capacity, potentially compromising the quality of advice and the professional obligations owed to clients. Recognising these risks reframes psychological safety not only as a wellbeing issue, but as a core element of legal capability, risk management, and professional integrity.
Using an MHFA lens, the presentation provides applied examples of how legal teams embed mentally safer practices into supervision, peer support, and organisational culture. Cultures that support early help-seeking, shared responsibility for wellbeing, and open discussion of workload pressures can reduce burnout and attrition, strengthen professional judgment, and sustain workforce capability—supporting the integrity and longevity of the legal profession.

Regional communities face unique and often complex challenges when it comes to mental health, including limited access to services, workforce shortages, and high-pressure environments across key industries. In these settings, standardised, one-size-fits-all training models often fall short.

This presentation explores a place-based approach developed through Healthy Minds NQ in Townsville and across North Queensland, where Mental Health First Aid is delivered alongside targeted, industry-relevant training to build real workforce capability.

Rather than positioning MHFA as a standalone intervention, this model integrates it into a broader framework of practical education, early intervention, and skill development. This includes complementary training in areas such as de-escalation, managing challenging interactions, and alcohol and other drug awareness, ensuring participants are equipped to respond in the realities of their work environments.

Drawing on delivery across sectors including banking, community services, and frontline teams, this session will share lessons learned, challenges, and outcomes from implementing a more tailored, community-driven approach.

This presentation is suited to instructors, providers, and organisations seeking to strengthen the impact of MHFA and rethink how mental health training is delivered in regional contexts.

Many organisations invest in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training, yet struggle to translate skills into sustained, everyday practice. This session shares a practical approach to embedding MHFA as a supported, system-wide model within a high-performance workplace, moving beyond training to real-world application.
At News Corp Australia, we identified a gap where MHFAiders were trained but often lacked clarity in role expectations, ongoing support, and confidence to apply skills consistently in real situations. This limited both engagement and long-term impact.
In response, we implemented a national MHFA Support Program designed to make MHFA visible, practical, and sustainable. It includes a site-based MHFAider network to improve access and normalise help-seeking, targeted capability development (including conversational skills and vicarious trauma awareness), and regular peer forums and wellbeing check-ins to maintain confidence and reduce isolation.
The program also embeds MHFA into organisational practice through clear role guidelines, escalation pathways, and a formal MHFA Workplace Policy, strengthening psychological safety and supporting safe, consistent application of MHFA principles such as early intervention and confidentiality.
Attendees will gain practical, adaptable strategies for embedding MHFA in their own organisations, supported by real-world lessons on what works, what doesn’t, and how to build sustainable impact beyond training alone.

The landscape of mental health in community sport is at a critical turning point, with many current approaches remaining reactive and disconnected from governance and leadership structures . This presentation outlines the development of a comprehensive Mental Wellbeing Charter and Framework by Outside the Locker Room (OTLR), designed to embed mental wellbeing into the core operations of sporting leagues and clubs.

The framework positions mental health as both a shared responsibility and a key driver of performance, shifting beyond one-off initiatives to a structured, preventative model. It integrates six interconnected pillars: leadership and governance, mental health literacy, accredited Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training, trauma-informed practice, critical incident response, and ongoing measurement and evaluation.

A central strength is the inclusion of MHFA training, equipping coaches, volunteers, and leaders with the skills to recognise early signs of distress, provide immediate support, and connect individuals to professional help. This builds a network of capable responders within the community, strengthening early intervention and help-seeking.

Ultimately, the framework creates sustainable, embedded systems that drive cultural change, strengthen community connection, and improve mental wellbeing outcomes across sport and beyond.

Jeremy will draw on his experience working alongside marginalised communities and his current leadership of Youth Live4Life to explore how lived experience, peer support, education and advocacy can create lasting change. He will share insights from Live4Life’s collective impact approach to youth mental health in rural and regional communities, including the importance of youth leadership, community ownership and building local capacity. Jeremy will also reflect on lessons from his previous work with Transcend Australia and the power of communities to lead and shape the solutions that affect them.

Discover how Newmont Cadia’s Peer-to-Peer (P2P) program transformed mental health support in a large mining operation by embedding a volunteer-led Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) network across all work areas.

Previously, MHFA training at Cadia was delivered by external providers, limiting participation due to cost and scheduling. Recognising this gap, Newmont employee Adrian LoFaro—driven by a strong commitment to mental health—became an accredited MHFA Instructor in his own time, enabling a shift to in-house delivery.

This transition enabled many more employees and business partners to complete MHFA training, with 254 MHFA-trained personnel now across Cadia. Of these, 168 are designated P2P representatives—trained to offer confidential, non-judgmental support, emotional first aid, and help connect colleagues with professional mental health services. They can be identified by green hard hats, Peer-to-Peer stickers, and posters across the site.

This session will share practical insights from Cadia’s journey, including overcoming logistical barriers, enabling regular, roster-fit training, and fostering a culture where mental health conversations are normalised. Attendees will hear real-world stories of early intervention, follow-up care, and the power of visible peer support, along with evidence-based strategies for building a scalable, inclusive MHFA network that reduces stigma and strengthens workplace resilience.

Higher education plays an important role in preparing future professionals, not only with technical knowledge but with the skills and confidence to support the mental health and wellbeing of those around them. As student needs become increasingly complex, many tertiary institutions are embedding Mental Health First Aid into courses and programs to strengthen mental health literacy, encourage early intervention and create more supportive learning environments. 

This panel brings together leaders from universities and the tertiary education sector to explore the opportunities and challenges of integrating Mental Health First Aid into curriculum and student learning. Panellists will share practical examples of implementation, discuss the impact on students, staff and future workplaces, and examine how Mental Health First Aid can become a sustainable part of professional education. 

Attendees will gain practical insights into securing organisational buy-in, embedding Mental Health First Aid within existing programs, and measuring success beyond course completion. The discussion will highlight lessons learned from institutions leading this work and demonstrate how tertiary education can equip graduates with the skills to recognise, respond to and support mental health problems throughout their careers and communities. 

Young people are more likely to seek support from trusted adults, peers and educators long before they engage with mental health services. This panel discussion explores how MHFA can strengthen the confidence and capability of the people who support young people every day, creating earlier opportunities for connection, recognition and help-seeking. 
 

Bringing together leaders from education, school wellbeing, community mental health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MHFA, the conversation will examine how Youth and Teen MHFA programs are being embedded across schools and communities to build mentally healthy environments and improve pathways to support. 
 

Attendees will gain practical insights into fostering mentally healthy school communities, strengthening partnerships between education and community organisations, and equipping adults and young people with the skills to recognise and respond to mental health problems.  

 

The discussion will also explore the importance of culturally responsive, developmentally appropriate approaches that empower young people, encourage early intervention and help create stronger circles of support.