Mental Health in the Workplace Initiative 

Launching and Foundation Phase 
In 2019, the Mental Health in the Workplace Initiative was launched through a strategic partnership with: 

• World Health Organization (WHO) Lebanon – Technical Support
• Agence Française de Développement (AFD)
• ESA Business School 

Key Contributions (2019–2021): 
AFD supported NMHP in: 

• Developing the Mental Health in the Workplace Charter
• Creating the Champions Handbook (training manual)
• Developing the original MHiW website
• Launching a national awareness campaign
• Producing a promotional video and posters 

The ESA Business School played a key role by: 

• Engaging its professional network
• Hosting the official Launching Ceremony of the MHiW Initiative on September 18, 2019 

This phase laid the foundation for the initiative, positioning mental health as a core component of organizational responsibility. 

Capacity Building and Scale-Up

In 2022, the MHiW project was strengthened and expanded in collaboration with:

• Institute for Development, Research, Advocacy, and Applied Care (IDRAAC)
• The International Rescue Committee (IRC) with financing from the Lebanon Financing Facility (LFF) administered by the World Bank
• World Health Organization (technical support)

With technical guidance from the NMHP, this phase focused on operationalizing and scaling the initiative.

Key Contributions (2022–2023):

• Transforming the Champions Handbook into structured training materials
• Piloting the MHiW training
• Revising and strengthening training content
• Scaling up the implementation of the Charter
• Conducting Training of Trainers (ToTs)
• Rolling out workplace trainings nationwide

This period marked the transition from conceptual framework to structured, scalable implementation. 

Strengthening Systems and Sustainability

In 2025, the MHiW projects were re-launched and further institutionalized in collaboration with:

• Institute for Development, Research, Advocacy, and Applied Care (IDRAAC)
• The International Rescue Committee (IRC) and is made possible by the World Bank administered Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Forced Displacement and the PROSPECTS Partnership. PROSPECTS brings together the World Bank, IFC, ILO, UNHCR, and UNICEF to address the challenges of forced displacement and is supported by the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
• World Health Organization (technical support)
• IF Foundation

Key Contributions (2025–2026):

• Transforming the Emergency Guidance Note developed by NMHP into training materials
• Updating and enhancing the MHiW training package, including alignment with WHO-ILO guidance notes and policy briefs
• Conducting ToTs and training rollouts
• Re-designing the MHiW website
• Organizing three “Exclusive Leadership Meeting on Mental Health in the Workplace with Business Leaders” events
• Conducting a follow-up survey with previous Champions to identify good practices, challenges, achievements, and needs
• Developing a workplace assessment survey
• Developing workplace coaching Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Developing a competency-based coaching support guide through adapting the PM+ Competency Tool on EQUIP to support workplace improvements
• Conducting coaching sessions with four workplaces
• Conducting support group sessions
• Developing and writing a research paper on the coaching process and findings

This phase emphasizes institutional learning, quality improvement, and evidence-informed expansion.