In Mental Health Awareness Month and beyond, the UCSF and UCOP Faculty & Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) is offering virtual sessions to support staff emotional well-being, foster resilience and encourage meaningful conversations around mental health in the workplace and beyond.

 Join us for virtual events!

Select each course name below to register; listings reflect Pacific Time.

Breaking the Taboo: Talking about Suicide and Seeking to Understand When Someone is Having Thoughts of Suicide
May 8, 12 – 1 p.m.
We have all been impacted by suicide — by hearing about suicide in the media, experiencing thoughts of suicide ourselves, losing a loved one to suicide, or trying to support someone we know who is coping with thoughts of suicide. We know that open, compassionate conversations can help save lives, but suicide remains a topic that’s difficult to discuss.

In this webinar, Dr. Joe Orovecz will help us develop our comfort in talking about suicide and, perhaps more importantly, listening when someone we know is experiencing thoughts of self-harm. We’ll cover how to:

• Recognize warning signs of suicide
• Communicate in a supportive way when someone is in emotional distress
• Access resources that can be helpful in moments of crisis (including 988, which you can dial right now anywhere in the US to be connected to a crisis counselor for support)
• Attend to our well-being when supporting someone else

Working Parents: Strategies for Resilience and Avoiding Burnout
May 16, 12 – 1 p.m.
Join Heike Mitchell, Ph.D., and FSAP for a practical, solution-focused session to help you manage the pressures of working parenthood and improve your well-being. We will review the challenges today’s working parents face and the risks of parental burnout. By the end of the webinar, you will be able to:

• Recognize signs and causes of parental burnout
• Discover personal, family and career strategies for burnout prevention and recovery
• Design your own plan to make working parenthood more sustainable
• Know how to access resources for dealing with parental burnout

Move into Stillness: African & Middle Eastern Beats Meet Meditation
May 23, 12 – 1 p.m.
This unique midday wellness experience invites you to reconnect with your body and mind through rhythm and stillness. We’ll begin with energizing African and Middle Eastern beats, then guide participants in meditative movement — an opportunity to step away from your desk and awaken the body. From there, the experience will shift into a seated, guided meditation designed to open the heart and promote relaxation and inner balance.

This immersive experience is designed to refresh and restore you, blending music, movement and meditation in a deeply grounding way. This session is ideal for anyone who enjoys moving to music and is looking for a guided yet private experience to recharge during the day.

Sensory Tools for Stress Relief: Strategies for Calming the Nervous System
May 29, 12 – 1 p.m.
Feeling overwhelmed by stress? Whether it’s work demands, personal responsibilities or the challenges of daily life, our nervous system constantly processes sensory input that impacts how we feel and function. In this Mental Health Awareness Month webinar, we will explore techniques to help you:

• Understand stress and nervous system dysregulation
• Discover sensory-based strategies (sight, sound, touch, smell and taste) for emotional regulation
• Learn practical ways to integrate these tools into your daily routine for greater balance and resilience

Through education and experiential exercises, you’ll leave with a personalized plan to help navigate stress more easily.

Restoring the Caregiver’s Heart: A Meditation for Those Walking the Path of Elder Care
June 3, 11:05 – 11:30 a.m.
Caregiving for an aging loved one can be both profoundly meaningful and emotionally complex. This 25-minute virtual session offers a space for quiet reflection and guided meditation, designed to help caregivers reconnect with their breath, restore inner balance and gently tend to their well-being. Led by Dr. Ana Dolatabadi, a licensed clinical psychologist with over 15 years of meditation experience and the director of the UCSF/UCOP FSAP, this session invites elder caregivers to pause, replenish and come back to themselves—if only for a few moments. No prior meditation experience is needed. All are welcome.

This brief, restorative virtual session is designed to support those caring for aging loved ones.

Additional resources for people leaders

Support your team’s mental well-being and strengthen workplace connections through helpful new FSAP tools! Select each link to learn more.

Beyond the Bio
This casual and uplifting team-building experience cultivates connections, sparks empathy and brings joy to your team. Inspired by the spirit of show-and-tell, participants are invited to share a meaningful object in a relaxed, supportive environment. Beyond the Bio helps nurture a culture of authenticity, curiosity and connection within the workplace.

Mental Health Bingo
Prioritize self-care and engage in activities that bring joy and fulfillment in a lighthearted and enjoyable way! Participants will explore self-care practices, build resilience and connect with others who share a common goal of prioritizing mental health by engaging in diverse wellness activities and fostering dialogue around mental health topics. Help your team increase self-awareness, reduce stress and gain knowledge about maintaining their well-being.

Wholesome Story Hour
This unique and low-stress opportunity fosters a sense of community, connection, empathy and humor within your team. As a leader, you can create an enriching experience that goes beyond the daily grind, nurturing a culture of connection and shared humanity. Wholesome Story Hour offers a powerful way to support employees’ sense of belonging, providing an opportunity to connect on a human level, build empathy and inspire through storytelling.

For questions, contact fsap@ucsf.edu.

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