NAMI Dubuque and Northeast Iowa Community College partner on new Stigma-Free Workplace Certificate for employers
Thursday, May 15, 2025
The training shares management strategies for local employers to demonstrate employee value and create psychologically safe spaces for open dialogue on brain health.
NORTHEAST IOWA–National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI) Dubuque and Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) have teamed up to create a new Stigma-Free Workplace Certificate program for local employers.
NAMI Dubuque and NICC believe companies can have a transformative impact on their workplace by investing in comprehensive stigma-free brain health training for managers, human resources professionals and company leaders. The new certificate offers employers an incredible opportunity to champion inclusivity in their community by equipping leaders and employees with the tools and knowledge to foster a stigma-free work environment.
ProPulse, a Peosta-based manufacturing company, enrolled its leadership team in the first Stigma-Free Workplace Certificate training session offered by NAMI Dubuque and NICC on April 11. Liz Kass, human resources manager at ProPulse, attended the training and encourages other employers to take advantage of the opportunity.
"Mental health is becoming more and more of a hot topic in the workplace. Many people are finding they have mental health issues and aren't sure how to handle them or get the help they need. This is a really crucial topic for employers right now. As leaders for ProPulse, we're people too, and we're all going through something. The new Stigma-Free Workplace Certification training with NICC is life-changing. Employers should enroll in this certification; it will make your leadership stronger and your company stronger," Kass said.
Britni Farber, president and CEO of NAMI Dubuque, and her team collaborated with NICC to develop the certificate. The training shares management strategies for local employers to demonstrate employee value and create psychologically safe spaces for open dialogue on brain health. Farber believes this certificate addresses workplace well-being and allows the training to be customized to leadership teams.
“I think one of the greatest benefits of this certification is the opportunity to have leadership modules or peer-based modules curated to your company's needs. We provide organization consultations and spend time getting to know our new partners. Developing a relationship with like-minded agencies that want to be educated and grow as companies really sets the strategic forecast for other professional development. And what we offer is unique. We use the resources as an affiliate of NAMI National and take from our own lived experiences as peer leaders,” Farber said.
Upon completion, each certificate program participant will receive a three-year Stigma-Free Workplace Certification from NICC Business and Community Solutions.
“Businesses that partner with NICC to create stigma-free workplaces gain access to proven, effective strategies like leadership story-sharing, targeted education, customized needs assessments and open dialogue, build a culture focused on employee well-being and long-term success,” said Amy Green, director of program sales, contract training and outreach services for NICC Business and Community Solutions. “We’re thrilled to be able to partner with NAMI Dubuque to offer this certification.”
The certificate program is customized to each employer, workplace location and schedule. For more information, contact NICC at (844) 642-2338, ext. 3130, or greena@nicc.edu.