Business leaders are invited to participate in the upcoming Workplace Wellbeing Summit, an interactive workshop designed to address critical mental health issues in the workplace, including suicide prevention, overdose and addiction recovery, and overall employee wellbeing. The event will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2025 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Postma Center at Pine Rest, 300 68th Street Southeast #Bldg C, in Grand Rapids.
The summit is presented by West Michigan Works!’ six Industry Talent Councils and will be led by Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas, an internationally recognized mental health advocate, President of United Suicide Survivors International, and Lead H.O.P.E. Certification Trainer.
“This is a highly engaging and interactive event where participants collaborate to create tailored roadmaps that align the nine best practices in workplace wellbeing and suicide prevention with their organization’s own unique needs and culture,” says Dr. Spencer-Thomas. “The Summit empowers teams with tools and knowledge to foster a healthier and more supportive work environment, promote overall worker wellbeing, and plant the seeds of change for the entire community.”
The Workplace Wellbeing Summit aims to help employers create tailored mental health and suicide prevention solutions, promote a healthier, more productive workforce, reduce workplace stress and the risk of mental health emergencies, and mitigate the impact of suicide, overdose, and addiction in the workplace.
“Mental health is a critical topic,” said Meg Mathis, from Dan Vos Construction who sits on West Michigan Works!’ construction industry talent council. “We want to continue to remove the stigma and make it easier to move forward with the best type of help.”
In 2024 West Michigan Works! Construction Career Council held brainstorming discussions about creating a mental health resource guide or leading other efforts to provide mental health tools to human resources and business leaders. In 2024, the Kent County Health Equity grant was available to fund pilot projects to increase health, including mental health, in our communities. After securing this funding, the council decided to hold a day long conference with resource providers in the room for attendees to meet with. The Wellbeing Summit’s precursor, the Building Minds Conference, took place on Sept. 12, 2024. Professionals from 23 industry businesses attended, hearing from area leaders, and meeting 14 resource providers.
United Suicide Survivors International saw coverage of the Building Minds Conference and reached out to the Construction Careers Council about bringing their HOPE Certification Workplace Wellbeing Summit to Michigan. Because the council was actively engaged in the mental health conversation, the Construction Careers Council approved the Workplace Wellbeing Summit. Knowing the critical need to break stigmas around talking about mental health, substance use disorder and suicide prevention to all workplaces, West Michigan Works!’ five other Industry Talent Councils welcomed the opportunity to support the event.
Each council has assisted in promoting the event and the importance of the conversation to their industries. We have attendees from all six key industries registered. The Summit’s title sponsor is Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, with additional support from Barton Malow Company, Grand Rapids Community College Secchia Institute for Culinary Education, Herbruck’s, Experience Grand Rapids, and The Source.
