CMHAA, along with our global chapters, have created the ‘Thriving from the Start Network’ (TftS) to enable the creation of a community of support for those who are in their early career stages of life.

We recognise that the transition from education into the workplace and the first few years of anyone’s career, can bring intense change and new challenges. It can be stressful, and there is a risk that new mental health conditions can start, old ones can be triggered or existing ones can worsen. The global pandemic and the associated experiences have added to the stress facing young professionals. Businesses have the opportunity and responsibility to protect and support the positive mental health of young people during this time.

The TftS mission is to create a culture of positive mental health in businesses for people in their early careers. We do this by:

• Challenging mental health stigma – we are normalising conversations about workplace mental health through events and story-telling
• Increasing mental health literacy – we are increasing the confidence and skills of young people to talk about mental health in the workplace
• Offering peer support – we are giving young people the opportunity to connect from others in a supportive online community
• Transforming businesses – we facilitate a feedback loop between young professionals and Board level, to help drive positive change

We have a dedicated LinkedIn page that you are welcome to view to keep up to date on our activities.