Psychological health and safety series #7: Creating an effective crisis response policy for workplace mental health

Credit: Adobe Stock/Nopadon.

In the latest article in our ongoing series on psychological health and safety policies, we turn our attention to the crisis response policy. While preventive measures are essential, organizations must also be prepared to respond effectively when employees experience mental health crises. A well-developed mental health crisis response policy demonstrating an organization’s commitment to supporting employees during their most vulnerable moments is the first step to becoming a crisis-ready workplace.

Role of a mental health crisis response policy

A mental health crisis response policy is a roadmap for leaders and workers to respond to acute mental health concerns or crises in the workplace. It ensures that employees experiencing crises receive immediate, appropriate support and that those responding know how to support and protect employees at risk. This policy is not just about managing difficult situations – it’s about preventing harm, saving lives and preserving dignity during vulnerable moments.

This policy demonstrates an organization’s commitment to employee well-being and creates a safety net for persons experiencing psychological distress. It also provides clarity and confidence for managers and colleagues who may witness or need to respond to a crisis.

Essential elements to include in this policy are:

A clear definition of a mental health crisis and the duty to inquire:

Define what constitutes a mental health crisis in the workplace context. Some examples of workplace events that indicate a mental health crisis include suicidal thoughts or behaviours, atypical behaviour, a sudden decline in mental health functioning (i.e., panic attacks, anxiety, psychotic episodes), making threats in a distraught state and drug overdose. The policy’s role is to introduce behaviours that indicate risk, followed by the crisis response protocol to respond appropriately without putting oneself in harm’s way.

Employers preparing for crises must ensure leaders understand how to facilitate duty to inquire (discussed in the last article) so they can recognize potential crises early and act quickly in a crisis. This policy should outline the organization’s expectation that leaders identify situations where an employee may be experiencing psychological distress even when not explicitly communicated.

The standard for action is: “A reasonable person would know there is a problem without being an expert in mental health and know something is wrong.” This includes recognizing warning signs such as noticeable changes in performance, attendance, behaviour, social withdrawal, expressed hopelessness or increased conflict.

Crisis response structure:

Define the roles and responsibilities of those expected to respond to a workplace crisis. This team should include designated responders with mental health training, HR representatives, occupational health professionals (if available), security personnel (when appropriate), peer support systems and management representatives. Specify how they will be assembled, what training they will receive and how their roles will interact during a crisis.

Immediate response procedures:

Outline step-by-step procedures for the initial response to a mental health crisis. These should cover alerting those expected to respond, safety measures to protect the individual experiencing the crisis and others, communication protocols during the crisis, assessment procedures to determine appropriate intervention, guidelines for involving external emergency services and steps for securing the area and managing bystanders. Include procedures for situations arising from the duty to inquire, where a leader has identified concerning behaviours and needs guidance on appropriate escalation paths. These procedures should be clear, concise and easy to follow under stressful conditions.

Communication protocols:

Establish guidelines for communication during and after a crisis. This includes internal notification procedures and communication restrictions to protect privacy. Organizations should have guidelines for communicating with the affected employee’s family, information sharing with other employees and media response protocols if applicable. All communication should prioritize the dignity and privacy of the individual in crisis while providing necessary information only to those who need it.

Internal resources:

Organizations must provide resources to assist employees in crisis, including:

• Employee and family assistance program: Confidential counselling services, on-site mental health resources and access to local mental health services.
• Mental health hotlines: Immediate support from trained professionals (e.g., 9-8-8).
• On-site mental health professionals: Access to workplace mental health experts, if feasible.
• Benefits program: Access to mental health professionals.

External resources and partnerships:

Identify the external resources that may be called upon during a crisis, such as local emergency services, crisis hotlines and text lines, mobile crisis teams, hospital emergency departments, mental health treatment centres, addictive disorder treatment, employee assistance program crisis services and critical incident response supports for significant crisis events support. Include contact information and guidelines for when and how to engage these resources.

Documentation requirements:

Specify what documentation should be completed following a crisis, including incident reports, follow-up plans, resource referrals, accommodation arrangements and return-to-work considerations. Ensure documentation practices respect confidentiality while providing necessary information for follow-up support.

Post-crisis support:

Detail the organization’s approach to supporting employees after a crisis. This should include short-term accommodation procedures, return-to-work processes, ongoing mental health support options, monitoring and check-in protocols and reintegration strategies. This section should emphasize continued support during recovery and reintegration into the workplace.

Support for responders and witnesses:

Recognize that responding to or witnessing a crisis can be traumatic. Include provisions for debriefing sessions for crisis responders, support resources for witnesses, recognition of emotional impact, time for recovery when needed and training to build resilience for future incidents.

Training requirements:

Specify training for different roles within the organization. Those expected to respond should receive comprehensive crisis intervention training and managers and supervisors should receive recognition and initial response training. All employees should have basic awareness and know how to alert those expected to respond. Include refresher training schedules and update requirements.

Privacy and confidentiality:

Emphasize the importance of maintaining strict confidentiality regarding all aspects of a mental health crisis. Address information-sharing limitations, documentation security measures, discussion restrictions and legal considerations. Reassure employees that their personal information will be protected during vulnerable moments.

When building a psychological health and safety program, be mindful of other PHS policies and a plan-do-check-act framework for continual improvement to ensure they do what they are designed for. Conduct regular drills and simulations with ongoing training to practice response protocols and identify potential gaps to ensure your crisis response policy achieves its intended purpose. Audit your crisis team to confirm their confidence and readiness and listen to what they believe will be helpful to prepare them to manage a crisis.

Want to learn more about psychological health and safety? Register for our Psychologically Safe Workplaces Summit on June 25, 2025.

Print this page