Comcare launches new program to fight workplace mental health stigma

Federal work health and safety regulator Comcare has launched a new program to fight workplace mental health stigma, aiming to help workers feel supported when facing psychological distress on the job.

According to Comcare, stigma can prevent an employee from seeking help from a qualified mental health professional. Left unaddressed, this reluctance can compound mental health issues and place additional strain on both individuals and the businesses that employ them.

What Is the Mental Notes Program?

Mental Notes is a stigma awareness program built to change how organisations talk about psychological safety at work. The initiative aims to "raise awareness of mental health-related stigma, increase manager/supervisor knowledge and skills to support workers' mental health, encourage support and promote help-seeking behaviour early."

In short, Comcare has developed a resource kit designed to give managers practical tools for recognising early warning signs and responding appropriately, rather than letting health stigma silence conversations that could prevent a crisis.

How Comcare Tested the Program

Comcare said the Mental Notes program was tested with workers and people who have experienced mental health issues, ensuring the content reflects real workplace experiences rather than theoretical assumptions.

This consultation process matters for safety professionals evaluating whether new initiatives will translate into genuine cultural change. Programs developed without input from affected people often miss the practical realities of frontline work, whereas Mental Notes was shaped directly by those who understand what workplace mental health stigma looks like in practice.

Why This Matters for Workplace Safety Leaders

Supervisors and managers sit at the frontline of psychological safety efforts. When leaders lack confidence addressing mental health concerns, employees are less likely to disclose struggles early, which increases the risk of prolonged absence or disengagement.

Comcare's approach recognises that tackling health stigma requires more than awareness campaigns alone. Building genuine change means equipping supervisors with skills to have difficult conversations, respond with empathy and connect struggling staff members with appropriate support before problems escalate.

For organisations building broader psychosocial risk frameworks, this initiative complements existing workplace mental health and psychosocial policies already in place across many sectors.

Supporting a Culture of Early Help-Seeking

Encouraging early help-seeking behaviour remains central to reducing long-term harm. Comcare's initiative focuses squarely on supporting workers before distress becomes a crisis, rather than only reacting once problems have already surfaced.

Other regulators have pursued similar goals. For instance, SIRA's new service tackling workplace mental health shares a comparable ambition of shifting how workplaces respond to psychological distress, while WA's grant program targeting workplace mental health demonstrates how state-based funding can support similar aims.

Where to Learn More

For more information on Mental Notes, visit the Comcare website. Organisations wanting a broader view of employer-led mental health training may also find value in reviewing iCare's training program helping employers respond to workplace mental health, which addresses related manager capability gaps.

Employers seeking to strengthen their broader safety documentation alongside mental health initiatives can also review supporting policies such as a bullying policy template, which often intersects with psychosocial hazard management.