By Digital Content and PR Specialist, Sophia Alcaraz

Key Takeaways

Mental wellness grows from a culture where people feel safe to ask for help.
VCS is expanding access to professional care through its partnership with Narra Health.
Mental Wellness Facilitator Training helps leaders recognize possible signs of distress and connect people with appropriate support.
Organizations can begin with practical, intentional steps—even without a large or fully developed program.

Support matters long before a crisis.

A mentally healthy workplace takes shape in everyday moments: when someone feels safe enough to speak, ask for help, and trust that they will be met with care.

Recent findings show why that environment matters. The latest AXA Mind Health Study found that 87% of Filipino workers experienced at least one work-related consequence affecting their mental well-being, compared with the global average of 76%. These included tiredness, sleep difficulties, stress or anxiety, loss of interest, and difficulty concentrating.

Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2026 report also found that 50% of employees in the Philippines experienced significant stress during the previous day. The Southeast Asian regional average was 25%.

These figures cannot capture every person’s experience, but they point to the need for workplaces where support is easier to reach.

At VCS, that commitment is taking shape through a company-wide Mental Wellness Program designed to make support more accessible while strengthening the company's culture of care. The program expands access to professional mental health resources while helping leaders better support their teams, fostering a workplace where empathy, understanding, and well-being are part of everyday culture.

To further strengthen that support, Finance and HR Director and Managing Partner TJ Joson also completed Mental Wellness Facilitator Training, equipping the company to better recognize when team members may need help and connect them with the appropriate professional resources.

Why Is Psychological Safety Important for Workplace Mental Health?

Access to professional care is one part of workplace mental wellness. The surrounding culture determines whether people feel comfortable using it.

Fear of judgment, misunderstanding, or negative consequences can make it harder for someone to speak openly about what they are experiencing. A supportive workplace creates room for respectful conversations, treats help-seeking as a responsible step, and responds to concerns with discretion and empathy.

The World Health Organization recommends a broader workplace approach that includes improvements to working conditions, access to care, manager training, and support for employees experiencing mental health concerns.

As TJ Joson, VCS Finance and HR Director and Managing Partner, shared:

“Mental health influences how we think, feel, behave, and relate to others. Just as we seek medical care when we’re physically unwell, we should also recognize when our emotional or psychological well-being needs attention.”

A supportive response can begin simply: listening without judgment, acknowledging what the person is going through, and helping them identify an appropriate next step.

For TJ, there is one message every team member should understand:

“Asking for help is never something to be ashamed of.”

How Is VCS Making Mental Wellness Support More Accessible?

As VCS marks its 22nd year, the company is becoming more intentional about how it supports the people behind the work.

*The VCS team learns about the mental wellness support, consultations, and digital resources available through Narra Health.*

Through Care Center Clinic, VCS partnered with Narra Health to provide employees with access to:

Confidential consultations with licensed mental health professionals
Digital wellness resources
Self-guided wellness tools
Educational content for everyday well-being

Narra Health is a digital mental health platform that connects employers and licensed mental health professionals to deliver culturally relevant support and technology-enabled wellness services. Its virtual consultations make professional care more accessible and convenient, especially for individuals who may be hesitant to visit a clinic due to stigma or privacy concerns.

Narra Health introduces its wellness resources and Narra Buddy platform during the VCS team orientation.

The program gives employees a direct path to professional support while also offering resources they can use as part of their everyday well-being.

For TJ, the value of the program comes from the environment it helps create:

“For me, investing in mental wellness isn’t just about offering a benefit. It’s about fostering a culture where people feel safe to seek help, know they will be heard without judgment, and have access to the support they need to thrive both personally and professionally.”

The partnership establishes professional care as a normal and accessible part of employee support—not something reserved only for moments of crisis.

*The VCS team during the introduction of the company’s Mental Wellness Program and Narra Health + Care Center Clinic partnership.*

What Does a Mental Wellness Facilitator Do?

TJ’s interest in facilitator training began after she read a SPOT.ph feature about broadcaster Kim Atienza. He had taken the program after people began approaching him online for mental health support.

The story prompted a practical question: if someone on the VCS team reached out, would she know how to respond safely and helpfully while staying within the limits of her role?

On June 27, 2026, TJ completed the Mental Wellness Facilitator Training conducted by DMR Psychological Services. The program prepares participants to recognize possible signs of distress, offer initial support, and guide someone toward appropriate professional care. It does not qualify facilitators to diagnose, counsel, or provide therapy.

*VCS Finance and HR Director/Managing Partner TJ Joson joins fellow participants during the Mental Health First Aid Training by DMR Psychological Services.*

Understanding the boundaries of the role was one of TJ’s most important takeaways:

"As a Mental Wellness Facilitator, my role isn't to diagnose or counsel, but to recognize when someone may be struggling, listen with empathy, and help connect them with the right resources."

The distinction matters. A facilitator can offer initial support, but professional care remains in the hands of trained mental health practitioners.

*TJ Joson after completing the Mental Wellness Facilitator Training conducted by DMR Psychological Services.*

How Does the ALGEE Action Plan Guide Initial Support?

The training introduced TJ to ALGEE, an action plan that gives facilitators a practical structure for responding when someone may be experiencing a mental health concern:

Approach and assess
Listen nonjudgmentally
Give support and information
Encourage appropriate professional help
Encourage other sources of support

ALGEE also reinforces the importance of respecting privacy, maintaining confidentiality, and avoiding assumptions or unsolicited advice.

One discussion that stayed with TJ was the risk of toxic positivity. Reassurance may be well-intentioned, but it can leave a person feeling unheard when it dismisses the difficulty of what they are experiencing.

“Sometimes people don’t need solutions or encouragement to ‘stay positive.’ They simply need someone who genuinely listens and acknowledges what they’re going through.”

The training helped clarify what meaningful initial support can look like: being present, listening carefully, respecting the person’s boundaries, and helping them reach the right professional or personal resources.

How Do Professional Care and Leadership Support Work Together?

Narra Health and the facilitator training serve different purposes.

Narra Health gives employees access to licensed professionals, confidential consultations, and ongoing wellness resources. TJ’s training prepares VCS to respond appropriately during the earlier moment when someone first speaks up or appears to be struggling.

Keeping those roles clear protects everyone involved. A facilitator listens, offers initial guidance, and helps connect someone with professional care; licensed practitioners remain responsible for diagnosis and treatment.

Together, the initiatives strengthen VCS’s ability to respond with empathy while respecting professional boundaries, privacy, and individual choice.

What Does Long-Term Mental Wellness Look Like in the Workplace?

Mental wellness matters because it is part of a person’s health, dignity, relationships, and quality of life.

Every employee carries experiences, responsibilities, and challenges that extend beyond the workplace. Mental well-being deserves the same attention and care that organizations give to physical health, healthcare access, and safe working conditions.

For VCS, the Narra Health partnership and facilitator training are early steps in a longer journey. The company is still learning how to make support more accessible, build trust around help-seeking, and respond to people with greater care.

That responsibility applies to organizations of every size. A small company may have fewer resources, but it can still listen, establish clear support pathways, and take meaningful action.

As TJ shared:

“We’re only beginning this journey ourselves, but I hope more organizations, especially small and medium-sized businesses, recognize that supporting mental health doesn’t require a large budget or a perfect program. What matters is taking that first step and making a genuine commitment to your people.”

A mentally healthy workplace does not require leaders to have every answer. It requires a culture where people are heard, support is accessible, and professional care is treated as a normal part of well-being.