Group 1

Crisis Ready Interventionist Certification Program: 4 Virtual Training Sessions

Bill Howatt

Dr. Bill Howatt

Event Facilitator
Chief Mental Health Officer

Bill Howatt is one of Canada’s leading experts in workplace psychological health and safety, guiding employers, leaders, and employees in building psychologically safe, high-performing organizations. With 30+ years of influence across clinical practice, research, and standards development, he has shaped major national frameworks and advised organizations on “what good looks like” in modern mental health strategy. Bill has authored over 50 books, 600+ articles, and created several university-approved mental health and leadership certificates.

Certifications

  • Certified Crisis-Ready Interventionist
  • Member, CSA Z1003 Technical Committee
  • Chair, CSA Z1008 Management of Impairment Standard
  • Member, CSA OHS Standards Steering Committee

Education

  • PhD, Behavioural Science
  • Post-Doctorate, Harvard Medical School (Addiction Medicine)
  • Master’s degrees in Counselling and Education

 

Bill’s commitment to psychological health is rooted in his own experience with ADHD, Dyslexia, anxiety, and navigating early life challenges related to adoption and academic struggle. These lived experiences drive his mission to eliminate stigma and equip organizations with the tools to support mental fitness at scale.

Denise

Denise Waligora

Event Facilitator
Head of Training & Content

Denise Waligora is a clinical mental health professional and national training leader with over 30 years of experience spanning crisis response, therapeutic care, justice-involved case management, and large-scale program delivery. As the former Training and Delivery Specialist at the Mental Health Commission of Canada, she supported more than 1,200 facilitators, developed curriculum, and advanced mental health literacy across sectors. Today she designs certification programs, workshops, and coaching that prepare workplaces for high-stakes moments and help teams strengthen psychological safety.

Certifications

  • Certified Crisis-Ready Interventionist 
  • Mental Health First Aid (Facilitator background via MHCC)
  • Additional training in trauma-informed practice, suicide intervention and facilitator development

Education

  • Undergraduate in HR Management, Nursing Diploma
  • Advanced training in crisis intervention, facilitation, and behavioural health

Denise’s work is grounded in her early clinical experiences supporting individuals in crisis and navigating complex trauma. These formative years shaped her warm, strategic, and human approach to create environments where people feel safe to reflect, connect, and grow.

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About this event

Crisis Ready Interventionist Certification Program — Register Today!

FPSC has partnered with Crisis-Ready Workplace, an organization founded by internationally recognized workplace mental health expert Dr. Bill Howatt, to deliver the Crisis-Ready Interventionist® Certification Program. With more than 30 years of experience in workplace psychological health and safety, Dr. Bill Howatt has helped employers, leaders, and employees build psychologically safe, resilient, and high-performing organizations.

A Crisis-Ready Interventionist is a trained employee who can recognize early signs of distress, respond with confidence, and support colleagues before situations escalate into crisis. FPSC recommends that every food and beverage manufacturing facility have at least one Crisis-Ready Interventionist on staff.

Designed for Workplace Leaders and Professionals

  • HR, People and Culture Leaders
  • Health & Safety professionals 
  • Operations and frontline leadership 
  • Organizations navigating growth, complexity, or workforce risk

Crisis-Ready Interventionist® Certification Program and Continuing Education Benefits

  • Earn a Crisis-Ready Workplace Certificate upon completion
  • Receive 14 hours of professional development credit
  • Pre-approved by HRPA, CPHR Nova Scotia, and CPD Standards Office
  • CEU eligible for HR, OHS, legal, healthcare, and mental health professionals

Program Schedule:

Tuesday, June 16th: 1- 4 PM EDT
Block 1: Foundations of Crisis Readiness:
  • Understanding psychological safety in practice
  • Recognizing early indicators of distress
  • Roles, responsibilities, and boundaries

Tuesday, June 23rd: 1- 4 PM EDT
Block 2: Detection & De-escalation:
  • Identifying risk signals and behavioural cues
  • Practical de-escalation techniques
  • Responding with calm, clarity, and confidence

Tuesday, June 30th: 1- 4 PM EDT
Block 3: Prevention & Intervention:
  • Addressing burnout, conflict, and high-risk situations
  • Supporting colleagues before escalation
  • Applying trauma-informed approaches

Tuesday, July 7th: 1- 4 PM EDT
Block 4: Action & Application:
  • Scenario-based learning and real-world practice
  • Communication frameworks for difficult moments
  • Pathways to support and escalation protocols

Register Today!

At this event, you'll learn:

  • Create internal capacity to respond in real time
  • Reduce risk of psychological and physical harm
  • Strengthen culture, trust, and peer support
  • Enable “humans helping humansˮ at scale
  • Stabilize environments through trained upstanders, not bystanders

Register Today!

In Partnership with:

Event Details

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Group 1

Crisis Ready Interventionist Certification Program: 4 Virtual Training Sessions Agenda

June 16, 2026 1:00 pm

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