NSB Logo Stéphane Grenier Stéphane Grenier

Stéphane Grenier

Speaker

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Retired Lieutenant Colonel | Mental Health Innovator

Stéphane Grenier is a nationally known mental health innovator, advocate and entrepreneur who was appointed to the Order of Canada. He retired from the Canadian military as a Lieutenant Colonel after serving 29 years. He participated in several overseas missions, most notably nine months in Rwanda in 1994/95, and six months in Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2007. After retiring from the military he created Mental Health Innovations (MHI) a social enterprise dedicated to developing non-clinical mental health interventions as a complement to traditional clinical care. More recently, Stéphane launched a company charged with implementing and delivering peer support services within inpatient mental health units at the provincial healthcare system level.

Keynote Speeches

Virtual Keynote Plus Workshop on Mental Health

PART 1 – 45 Minute Virtual Keynote

Join Stephane Grenier virtually where he delivers his riveting keynote speech. Blending lived accounts, compelling corporate case studies, leading-edge research and passionate arguments that the status quo is no longer acceptable in the field of workplace mental health, Grenier makes us ask ourselves, how did we miss the obvious? How did we miss our people?

  • Includes a draw amongst participants for a free copy of his book*

PART 2 – Virtual Workshop/s Post Event

Following the keynote, poll your audience to determine which workshops are most in demand, including; Getting back to normal, How to help someone who is struggling, or Self-Care, for example.

Part 3 – WeCare

Following the workshop series, organizations will be provided the opportunity to pilot MH Innovation’s WeCARE Learning Campaign. The pilot will include up to 5 limited-time subscriptions to the online learning campaign and tool kit plus a virtual launch workshop.  (available for a limited time)

The Power of Human Interaction

In hopes of challenging society’s traditional outlook regarding mental health, Grenier has spent much of his career redefining how workplaces and individuals should care for and support those affected by mental health problems. By developing, implementing, and managing peer based programs aimed at reducing stigma, Grenier provides leaders and managers a firm understanding of how to deal with the fast growing realities hindering today’s brain based economy. His non clinical approach offers simple and pragmatic ways of giving purpose to the lived experience of members of workplaces and allows organizations to start down the path of systemic wellness and re-humanized workplaces where mental health stigma is no longer a barrier to recovery.

Leveraging the World’s Largest Untapped Mental Health Resource: People

In today’s modern workplace, mental health problems have become the leading cause of disability claims, accounting for 70% of workplace disability management costs in Canada.

Stéphane knows the toll mental health problems can take on individuals and workplaces firsthand. Traditionally, mental health difficulties in the workplace have been principally viewed through two lenses: the performance lens and the clinical one. Clinicians treat symptoms and leaders manage behaviours.

Anchored in decades of experience in improving the way large, public- and private- sector organizations support their employees, Grenier provides his audiences with pragmatic advice on how to support workplaces in developing corporate cultures of open, non-stigmatizing approaches to mental health and well-being.

Blending lived accounts, riveting corporate case studies, leading-edge research and passionate arguments that the status quo is no longer acceptable in the field of workplace mental health, Stéphane makes us ask ourselves, how did we miss the obvious? How did we miss our people?

Longer engagements are also available, where the following learning objectives can be achieved through a workshop-style session :

  • Develop a new non-clinical lens to perceive mental health problems
  • Understand the importance of social support as a determinant of mental health
  • Redefine and challenge entrenched paradigms regarding workplace mental health
  • Understand how organizational culture impacts well-being
  • Become familiar with innovative methods to measure and shape workplace culture
  • Understand the building blocks of a successful peer support program
  • Participants can learn the building blocks of a self care model to help nurture good mental healt
  • Discover how peer support acts as a catalyst for organizational wellness
  • Measure your organization’s readiness for a peer support program
  • Become familiar with the nationally endorsed Standards of Practice for peer support
  • Conduct a preliminary assessment of your workplace against the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace

 

Audience reviews:

  • He’s personable, energetic, and funny, so he was very interesting to listen to. I liked when he called participants by their name (it was not difficult, given each participant had a name plate, but one would not necessarily make use of it), and referred to the experience they had shared before his presentation begins, which was great. I also appreciated the fact that he did not promote his company. I also enjoyed the reflection that Stéphane was proposing in his presentation, the why we should have such a program, what it is and what it is not.

    - Corporate Human Resources Advisor, Employment & Social Development Canada / Government of Canada
  • He spoke powerfully, compassionately and with great clarity—all from his heart. He was able to describe his personal experience in a manner that included context and possible solutions. He had a great effect on the members of the audience- many of who commented and sent notes to acknowledge Stéphane’s effect on their thinking and their understanding of the issues. Stéphane Grenier’s contribution was very substantial and we were proud to include him in this memorable event.

    - Executive Director, Sky Works Charitable Foundation
  • An excellent speaker! I would like his contact information as I would like to recommend him for our international ATU conference. Stephane is an excellent speaker who fosters a sincere understanding of mental health challenges. A true inspiration! Thank you!

    - Annual Labour Law Conference
  • It was the most heart wrenching and eye opening talk I have ever heard anyone give.

    - Inspector Animal Health, CFIA
  • On behalf of the Correctional Service Canada, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude for your willingness to deliver your key note presentation to CSC employees this past week. As you acknowledged, our work environment is a difficult one. Accordingly, the importance of actively listening, sharing, and learning about our mental health, and that of our colleagues, cannot be understated. We have received considerable, and uniformly positive feedback from attendees. As your reputation suggested, your presentations were very well received. Please keep us in mind as you continue to pursue opportunities to realize better outcomes in public safety personnel communities. We would happily contribute in any way possible. - Correctional Service Canada

Speaker Biography

When it comes to mental health, Stéphane Grenier walks the talk.

Indeed, Stéphane’s riveting keynotes are not only thought-provoking, but also lead to tangible action and sustainable change for those leaders who are prepared to rethink how they support their people.

He was appointed to the Order of Canada and awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Guelph and Humber College for his contributions to the field of workplace mental health.

His autobiography, After the War: Surviving PTSD and Changing Mental Health Culture, tells his story from the day he landed in the midst of the Rwandan genocide, through his journey of changing mental health culture in the Canadian military, developing national Guidelines for Peer Support with the Mental Health Commission of Canada, all the way to creating Mental Health Innovations (MHI); a consultancy that leads innovative and sustainable change in organizations to enhance the mental health of their people.

Today, he and his business partners, along with countless associates, develop non-clinical mental health interventions as a complement to traditional clinical care for private and public sector organizations, as well as for provincial healthcare systems.

Stéphane’s vision is a world where people no longer face barriers to good mental health.