Mental Health Awareness Month: Supporting Well-being as A Foundation for Workplace Violence Prevention

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to slow down, check in with ourselves, and recognize how mental well‑being shapes our experiences at work and beyond. It’s also a meaningful moment to reflect on how caring for mental health plays an important role in preventing workplace violence.

At UC Davis, workplace violence prevention isn’t only about policies and response plans, it’s also about people. The WPV team understands that when employees feel supported, connected, and equipped to help one another, workplaces become safer, healthier places to be.

Mental health challenges such as stress, burnout, anxiety, or feeling overwhelmed can affect anyone. When those challenges go unnoticed or unaddressed, tensions can grow and situations can escalate. That’s why prevention starts early, with awareness, compassion, and the tools to recognize when someone may need support.

The UC Davis Workplace Violence Prevention team supports mental health awareness in multiple ways throughout the year, including training, education, and resources designed to help employees look out for themselves and each other. One key offering is the Mental Health First Aid course.

Mental Health First Aid is a practical, skills‑based training that teaches participants how to recognize the signs of common mental health challenges and crises, how to approach someone with care, and how to connect them with appropriate support and resources. Much like traditional first aid, the goal isn’t to diagnose or “fix” someone, it’s to provide initial help, reduce stigma, and respond with empathy until professional help is available.

Just as important as prevention is how we support people after a difficult or traumatic event. When a workplace incident occurs, it can have a lasting emotional impact on those directly and indirectly affected. That’s why the WPV team also offers post-incident support resources, including Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) and other supportive services.

CISD provides a structured, compassionate space for individuals and teams to process what they’ve experienced, share reactions, and begin to make sense of the event. These conversations are guided by trained professionals and are designed to reduce stress, normalize responses to trauma, and support recovery. Equally important, they remind employees that they don’t have to navigate these experiences alone.

In addition to CISD, employees can connect with employee assistance services, known as ASAP, and have access to ongoing support to help them regain a sense of stability and well-being. Taking the time to check in, listen, and offering care after an incident is a critical part of healing, and an essential part of prevention moving forward.

By offering both proactive training like Mental Health First Aid and responsive support like CISD, the WPV team reinforces an important message: prevention is human. It’s built on connection, trust, and the willingness to show up for one another, especially during challenging moments. 

Additionally, the Workplace Violence Prevention team promotes a culture where people feel safe speaking up, asking for help, and checking in on one another, which can reduce risk, strengthen relationships, and promote a more respectful and resilient workplace.

As we recognize Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s a reminder that workplace safety goes beyond physical security. Emotional well‑being, empathy, and awareness are essential pieces of prevention. Taking care of mental health is not separate from workplace violence prevention, it’s one of the strongest tools we have.

Together, through education, compassion, and shared responsibility, we can continue to build a campus community where everyone feels safer, supported, and valued.