Having ‘that’ conversation: Equipping WHS leaders to handle high-stakes mental health moments 

Bill Carson | WHS Show Melbourne 

In every workplace, some conversations are tough to start. Suicide, bullying, addiction, mental health, these are not easy topics. Yet, as Bill Carson made clear at the Workplace Health and Safety Show, these are exactly the conversations that health and safety leaders must be ready to have. Avoiding them only puts people and workplaces at risk. 

Bill draws from years as a mental health educator, coach, and Lifeline volunteer to introduce a simple yet powerful framework called SAFE Conversation Skills. It’s designed to help leaders engage in sensitive discussions with genuine empathy and confidence, without overstepping boundaries or freezing under pressure. 

The gap we all know too well 

Most leaders want to help. They just don’t always know how. Performance issues can often mask deeper personal struggles, yet too often managers respond by focusing solely on tasks or performance targets. The emotional realities behind the behavior get overlooked. Bill pointed out that frustration, fear, or avoidance often take the place of true understanding.

“Mental health challenges are still misunderstood or wrongly labelled as manipulation”, he said. 

The numbers tell a tough story. Only 23 percent of workers report feeling they are truly thriving. The rest are somewhere between stressed, disengaged, or struggling. Yet the percentage of managers ready and able to hold meaningful mental health conversations remains far too low. That disconnect puts everyone at risk. 

What makes a conversation ‘SAFE’? 

Bill’s SAFE framework offers four essential skills: 

• Self-awareness. Start with yourself. If you’re distracted or frustrated, it’s not the right time. The quality of the conversation depends on your mindset. 
• Acknowledge and ask. Use open, curious questions. Invite reflection. Avoid jumping to conclusions or offering quick fixes. 
• Focus on listening. Resist the urge to fix the problem. Empathy means being fully present for the other person—not sharing your own story. 
• Empower. Help the person discover their own clarity and next steps. Don’t take over their problem. 

It’s not about solving someone’s crisis, Bill reminds us. It’s about creating a safe space where clarity can emerge and support can follow. 

Seeing the early signs and understanding risk 

Leaders must stay alert to changes in behavior – anger, withdrawal, mistakes that aren’t typical. Psychosocial risks like heavy workloads affect everyone differently depending on what is happening outside work. Bill shared, “two people can experience the same workload very differently. One might thrive while another is on the edge due to a divorce or personal crisis.” 

This insight calls for deep awareness, not just ticking boxes on compliance but seeing the person behind the role. 

Why referrals to Employee Assistance Programs often miss the mark 

Telling someone to “go to the EAP” without context can feel like dismissal. Bill’s advice is to build trust first. When a leader shows up with genuine presence and support, the person is far more likely to accept help. 

He shared a story about a manager trained in SAFE skills who helped an employee struggling with bullying allegations. The real issue was personal relationship stress increasing sensitivity at work. Through patient conversations, the employee accessed support, stabilized, and avoided a costly claim. This is the kind of leadership that makes a lasting difference. 

Mental health is the new PPE 

Bill coined the term “psychosocial PPE” to describe essential personal skills everyone needs to protect themselves in today’s demanding workplaces. Emotional regulation, sense of meaning and purpose, collaboration—these are just as critical as hard hats or steel-capped boots for building resilience and safety. 

If mental health is as critical as physical safety, why are we still treating it like an afterthought? 

Workplaces have come a long way in protecting people from physical harm. But psychological safety still lags behind, often unintentionally sidelined, simply because leaders don’t feel equipped. That’s not a skills gap. That’s a leadership risk. 

The question isn’t whether WHS leaders should be having these conversations. The real question is: what systems, training, and support do your leaders need to confidently step into them? 

Because every manager who avoids the conversation might be the only person who could have changed the outcome. 

“Being skilled at that conversation doesn’t just protect your people. It protects your culture, your organization, and your humanity,” Bill said. “It’s time to lean in.”

This isn’t a soft skill. It’s a strategic imperative. 

About Bill Carson

Bill Carson, known as The Psychosocial Safety Guy, is a TEDx speaker, author, and resilience coach who empowers leaders to turn psychosocial safety from compliance into culture. He is the creator of SAFE Conversation Skills, helping workplaces foster real human connection and mental health awareness. Connect with Bill on LinkedIn, learn more here, or grab his book on SAFE conversations.