Walmart offers training to help workers extend mental health support

Employees have been clear that they’re craving more mental health support, and employers across industries have taken steps to extend more care to their workforces. But are employees equipped to help support one another? 

A newly announced program from Walmart will provide Mental Health First Aid training to the company’s associates, teaching them how to identify and respond to people who may be experiencing mental health challenges. The four-hour training program will be available virtually and in-person at Walmart’s Bentonville Home Office. 

“Sometimes the best support is the support we get from our peers, coworkers and loved ones,” says Lisa Woods, vice president of physical and emotional wellbeing at Walmart. “We want to equip our associates to be able to support one another confidently and empathically.” 

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The program, which will be managed and operated by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, will guide employees through recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental health stress and teach them how to provide direct assistance and support, from how to properly reach out to emergency services on someone’s behalf, to making sure they know how to access emotional well-being benefits and resources, according to the company’s announcement. Participants will practice a five-step action plan to help support those struggling. 

The introduction comes at a time when employees are still struggling to manage mental health issues, which have been exacerbated by the lingering pandemic. In 2021, according to a survey by media agency Mindshare, 76% of employees reported at least one symptom of a mental health condition, up from 59% in 2019. 

The Mental Health First Aid training from Walmart will be offered in addition to the retail company’s existing 24/7 confidential counseling services with licensed therapists, available at no cost to associates and their families. The training will also work in tandem with Walmart’s partnership with AiRCare Health, which reaches out to associates enrolled in a Walmart medical plan to check-in and see how they are doing.