06/04/2026
🚨 Episode 120: A Case for Mental Health First Aid with Nicole Van Heel 🚨
Mental health challenges don’t stay at home when employees come to work. They impact well-being, performance, retention, and workplace culture. Yet many leaders still feel unprepared to recognize when someone is struggling or how to respond in a meaningful way.
🎙️ In this episode of What the HR!, host Becky Lauseng is joined by Nicole Van Heel to discuss why Mental Health First Aid is becoming an essential workplace skill and how organizations can create environments where employees feel seen, supported, and safe to speak up.
Nicole is the Director of Human Resources at Bauer Design Build, where she leads people strategy with a focus on building people-first workplaces that align culture with business growth. She is also a certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor and passionate advocate who has helped train more than 40% of her organization to recognize, respond to, and support coworkers experiencing mental health challenges.
Together, they explore:
✅ What Mental Health First Aid is and why it matters in the workplace
✅ How leaders can recognize signs that an employee may be struggling
✅ Practical ways to support employees while building trust and psychological safety
✅ Why mental health should be viewed as a leadership and operational priority—not just a benefits conversation
If you're looking to create a healthier, more supportive workplace culture, this episode offers practical insights and actionable strategies you can start using today.
🎧 Listen now: https://buff.ly/jJJVuBF