Developed by the Wellness Council of Indiana in Collaboration With the Indianapolis Colts’ Kicking The Stigma Initiative
(INDIANAPOLIS) — With workplace mental health and substance use challenges increasingly showing up on the job, the Wellness Council of Indiana (WCI) – a subsidiary of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce – has teamed up with the Indianapolis Colts’ Kicking The Stigma initiative to launch the Indiana Workplace Wellness Training Academy. The new statewide resource is designed to help employers strengthen their workplace culture and support employee mental health and well-being.
Through the Academy, employers can access evidence-based training and practical skill-building to help them recognize and respond to mental health and substance use challenges, reduce stigma and create workplaces where employees feel supported. Training offerings will expand over time to meet evolving workforce needs across throughout the state.
“Workplaces can play such a critical role in supporting the overall well-being of their employees. When an employee is struggling, it generally doesn’t stay at home; it follows them into work,” says Ashley O’Rourke, executive director of the Wellness Council of Indiana. “This Academy helps employers move from good intentions to meaningful action, with hands-on training and real-world tools that make it easier for them to build workplaces where people feel supported and can truly thrive.”
The Academy offers several foundational mental health and well-being training sessions, such as Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), Saving a Life: QPR Gatekeeper & Naloxone Training, The Working Mind and Mental Health Skills Refresher. All are available to employers of all sizes and industries, with preferred pricing offered to WCI member organizations.
Trainings take place at the Indiana Chamber Conference Center in downtown Indianapolis and virtually for select sessions. Employers can also schedule onsite instruction for most courses.
The Academy represents another way Kicking The Stigma is continuing to invest in efforts that advance mental health awareness.
“Kicking The Stigma is committed to expanding access to mental health education and ensuring people have the tools to recognize when someone may be struggling and how to respond,” says Brett Kramer, director of Kicking the Stigma. “By partnering with the Wellness Council of Indiana to bring these trainings to employers across the state, we’re helping build more supportive workplaces and strengthening the overall mental well-being of Indiana’s workforce.”
To learn more about the Indiana Workplace Wellness Training Academy and available training, visit indianawellnessacademy.org.
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The Indiana Chamber partners with 25,000 members and investors – representing over four million Hoosiers – to achieve the mission of “cultivating a world-class environment which provides economic opportunity and prosperity.”
The Wellness Council of Indiana (WCI) is a trusted partner to employers working to strengthen health and well-being across Indiana. Established in 1988 as a volunteer-based association and acquired by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce in 2011, WCI has grown to become one of the largest wellness councils in the United States.
