Toolkit

Small to Medium-Sized Practitioner (SMP) Mental Health Toolkit

April 2, 2026


    Small-to medium-sized practitioners (SMPs) juggle numerous responsibilities, which can impact physical and mental health. SMPs don’t need to be mental health experts, but it is crucial to recognize potential issues in themselves and their staff to help guide employees to the help they might need. 

    This toolkit is designed to support the mental well-being of SMPs as both leaders and employees. With articles, webinars, and guides to help with organizational strategies, leading others, and leading self, this toolkit supports SMPs in creating healthy workplaces. 

    Disclaimer: This resource was prepared by CPA Assist as non-authoritative guidance. CPA Assist does not accept responsibility or liability that might occur directly or indirectly as a consequence of the use or application of, or reliance, on this material. Some links lead to other websites, resources, or tools maintained by third parties over whom CPA Assist has no control. CPA Assist makes no representations or warranties regarding, and does not endorse, any linked website, the contents thereof, the information appearing thereon or any of the products or services described thereon. Links do not imply that CPA Assist sponsors, endorses, or is affiliated or associated with the entity that owns or is responsible for any linked website.  

    Organizational Strategies  

    Effective organizational strategies are the backbone of any successful team. Central to these strategies is creating a psychologically safe environment where team members feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and ideas without fear of consequences. Understanding and implementing policies and procedures that promote a proactive approach are essential.  

    Resources for building a healthy workplace. 

    CAN/CSA-Z1003-13/BNQ 9700-803/2013 (R2022), Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace 

    A voluntary standard that provides a framework to help organizations create a psychologically healthy and safe workplace.

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      Questions to Consider for CPA Leaders to Ask on Building a Psychologically Safe Workplace 

      Coming winter 2025

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        Fostering a Psychologically Safe Workplace Culture

        A webinar that explores psychological safety, addresses common misconceptions, and offers practical tips to foster a safer workplace environment.

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        • Webinars
        • Workplace

        Psychologically Safe Team Assessment

        A resource for teams of three or more to assess their leadership, interactions, and inclusion.

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        • Web Resource
        • Workplace

        StressAssess

        A survey to anonymously gather information and improve the psychosocial factors in a work environment.

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        • Assessment/Guide
        • Mental Health
        • Workplace

        Guarding Minds at Work

        A resource to identify and measure employee experience with psychosocial factors and hazards that may impact workers and the workplace.

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        • Web Resource
        • Workplace

        Fuzzy Line of Rudeness: Building a Psychologically Safe Workplace

        A webinar bringing attention to civility in the workplace to strengthen the culture and bring the organization’s values to the forefront.

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        • Webinars
        • Mental Health
        • Workplace

        Manager’s Toolkit – Recognizing Declining Mental Health In Employees

        A guide for recognizing declining mental health in employees.

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        • Assessment/Guide
        • Workplace

        Resources for addressing workplace safety and ensuring preventative measures and regulations for bullying, harassment, and more.

        Health Promotion/Wellness/Psychosocial Fact Sheets 

        Fact sheets on how to start a workplace health and wellness program, stress, violence, prevention, bullying, mental health, aging workers, and more.

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        • Web Resource
        • Workplace

        Alberta Occupational Health and Safety

        Preventive measures, regulations, and training to minimize workplace hazards, injuries, and illnesses.

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        • Web Resource

        Saskatchewan Safety in the Workplace

        Regulations, prevention tips, and responsibilities to ensure a safe and healthy work environment.

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        • Web Resource

        Accommodation and Return to Work Policies

        Strategies for supervisors and managers to better respond to employees returning to work or requiring accommodation, especially when mental health is a factor.

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        • Web Resource
        • Workplace

        Understanding, Managing, and Preventing Workplace Bullying

        Specific, integrated, and easy‐to‐implement strategies that address the root causes of workplace bullying.

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        • Webinars
        • Workplace

        Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

        A webinar providing a working definition of sexual harassment, resources for those being harassed, and information on how sexual harassment should be handled (policies, procedures,…

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        • Webinars
        • Workplace

        Suicide Prevention & Awareness in the Workplace

        A webinar discussing warning signs to look out for amongst colleagues, how to support those in crisis, and key resources.

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        • Webinars
        • Suicide & Suicide Prevention
        • Workplace

        Resources for implementing effective hiring and retention strategies to help maintain a productive, engaged, and motivated workplace.

        Hiring, Orientation and Termination 

        Tips for protecting employee psychological health throughout the employment life cycle.

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        • Web Resource

        How to Attract top Talent on the CPA Alberta Job Board

        Three key tips to maximize the impact of your job posting.

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          Employer Resources

          Resources and information to help employers to better support their CPA candidates.

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            CPA Assist Orientation Package  

            Coming winter 2025.

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              Leading Others

              Resources for managing conflict and promoting diversity and inclusion to lead effectively and create a positive and productive workplace. 

              Find additional courses on leadership and professional skills on the CPA Alberta portal and the CPA Saskatchewan portal

              Resources for resolving disputes and maintaining a harmonious work environment among colleagues and leaders.

              Psychologically Safe Problem Solving and Conflict Management 

              Resources for leaders to improve problem solving and conflict management and resolve work issues more effectively.

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              • Web Resource
              • Workplace

              Psychological Health and Safety Lab

              Surveys and courses to help you discover your conflict style, burnout score and/or psychological flexibility score.

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              • Web Resource
              • Mental Health
              • Workplace

              Conflict Management 

              A course on how to effectively manage conflicts in the workplace.

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              • Web Resource
              • Workplace

              Conflict Styles

              A course on understanding your conflict style, learning how to handle conflicting styles, when these styles come in handy, and when they can cause issues.

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              • Web Resource
              • Workplace

              Resources for better diversity and inclusion, which boosts creativity and innovation by bringing varied perspectives, improving decision-making, and enhancing employee engagement.

              Hesje On-Demand Webinar Series: Inclusive Leadership Webinar

              A webinar focusing on the individual role of being inclusive leaders even without being in a leadership position.

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                Discrimination Prevention and Inclusion

                A resource to address discrimination and promote inclusion through policies and processes and create a positive environment that supports all employees to thrive and succeed.

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                  Being Your True Self in the Workplace Optimizes Your Potential

                  A story of three CPAs from the 2SLGBTQ+ community sharing their professional journeys and how the profession has progressed in terms of diversity and inclusion.

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                    Leading Self

                    Resources for enhancing mental health and wellness, fostering a thriving work-life balance to avoid burnout, and prioritizing fitness and nutrition. 

                    Find additional courses on leadership and professional skills on the CPA Alberta portal and the CPA Saskatchewan portal

                    Resources for managing stress in a productive way and reducing the risk of burnout. 

                    Managing Burnout and Stress

                    Strategies to manage stress, prevent burnout, and spot warning signs and practical tools to safeguard mental well-being during busy times.

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                    • Webinars
                    • Mental Health

                    Habit Tracker

                    A habit tracker to manage wellness during busy season.

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                    • Activity
                    • Mental Health

                    The Neuroscience of Burnout: Understanding and Mitigating Burnout in the Workplace

                    A webinar exploring the neuroscience behind burnout and its impact and providing strategies to manage and reduce it effectively.

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                    • Webinars
                    • Mental Health
                    • Workplace

                    Strengthening Your Response to Stress

                    A webinar about managing stress effectively, recognizing its causes and symptoms, and implementing strategies to positively strengthen your response and well-being.

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                    • Webinars
                    • Mental Health

                    Defining Your Best to Avoid Burnout

                    Personal reflections, including strategies that have helped the writer manage personal expectations and the imperative to be perfect to avoid burnout.

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                    • CPA Stories
                    • Mental Health

                    Prevent Burnout

                    Strategies to help identify risks and prevent burnout for yourself from Workplace Strategies for Mental Health.

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                    • Articles
                    • Mental Health
                    • Workplace

                    Snuffing out Burnout: Five Ways to Build Better Resilience in Times of Stress 

                    Five ways to build resilience and tackle stress before it escalates.

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                      Resources for prioritizing fitness and nutrition to manage stress, stay focused, and maintain the energy needed to tackle daily challenges. 

                      Don’t forget, you can book a one-on-one physical fitness or dietary consultation to create a personalized plan to support your journey. Visit the Get Support page to book your consultation today.  

                      The Real Deal on Nutrition: Myths vs. Truths

                      A webinar with practical, science-backed nutrition tips to improve health, debunk myths, highlight facts, and explore optimal eating patterns.

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                      • Webinars
                      • Fitness & Nutrition

                      The Tax You Didn’t Know You Were Paying: How Food Choices Impact Your Mind, Body, and Well-Being 

                      An article on how nutrition influences mental, physical, and emotional well-being and how small, intentional choices can lead to big returns.

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                      • Articles
                      • Fitness & Nutrition

                      3 Minute Stretch Break 

                      A quick and engaging video to help you refresh and re-energize with simple stretches that can be done right at a desk.

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                      • Activity
                      • Fitness & Nutrition

                      Unravel the Mysteries of Meal Planning

                      A webinar unraveling the mysteries of meal planning to transform your kitchen into a haven of efficiency and stress-free mealtimes.

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                      • Webinars
                      • Fitness & Nutrition

                      Starting (or Restarting) Your Fitness Journey

                      A webinar explaining the essentials of starting (or restarting) your fitness journey safely and sustainably.

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                      • Webinars
                      • Fitness & Nutrition

                      Why our Brains are Starving and What That Does to our Mental Health

                      A webinar Exploring the scientific basis of how and why nutrition is the foundation for good mental health.

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                      • Webinars
                      • Fitness & Nutrition

                      Healthy Eating 9-5

                      A webinar identifying five common workday challenges that prevent working professionals from making healthy choices and how to overcome those challenges.

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                      • Webinars
                      • Fitness & Nutrition

                      Resources for setting boundaries at work to maintain a healthy work-life balance and sustained productivity. 

                      Setting Healthy Boundaries at Work 

                      A resource for understanding how to set healthy boundaries to boost mental well-being, foster self-care, balance work and life, and enhance energy and focus in…

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                        Setting Boundaries for Your Mental and Physical Well-being

                        An article on setting boundaries to safeguard mental and physical well-being.

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                        • Articles
                        • CPA Stories
                        • Mental Health

                        Making Flexibility a Priority with Alicia Fowler CPA, CA

                        An article highlighting how workplace flexibility supports mental health by addressing personal needs, reducing stress, and fostering balance with boundaries.

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                        • CPA Stories
                        • Mental Health
                        • Workplace

                        Learning to Rebalance: Practicing Self-care as a CPA and Parent of Twins

                        An article about prioritizing self-care and making positive changes.

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                        • CPA Stories
                        • Family & Interpersonal Relationships
                        • Mental Health

                        Resources for building resiliency and navigating challenges and thriving in both personal and professional settings.

                        Building Stronger Teams

                        A downloadable workbook of team-building activities to strengthen leadership skills and build team resilience.

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                          Self-care: The Number One Protective Factor

                          A webinar describing a framework for leadership self-care that includes practical guidance for improving and maintaining emotional well-being.

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                          • Webinars
                          • Mental Health

                          Positive Self-Talk: Identifying Self-Talk and How You Can Use it to Positively Impact Your Mood and Performance

                          A webinar exploring how identifying and practicing positive self-talk can enhance mood, boost performance, and support overall mental well-being.

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                          • Webinars
                          • Mental Health

                          Is there anything missing, or any aspect of this toolkit that could make it even more useful for you? We’d love to hear your thoughts—email us at contact@cpa-assist.ca. 

                          CPA Assist provides confidential counselling services and 24/7 crisis support to Alberta, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut CPAs, candidates, and their immediate families. To book an appointment through CPA Assist, call 1-855-596-4222 or email cpaforbes@telus.net.