In high-pressure workplaces and communities, mental health awareness matters more than ever.
Get Certified in Mental Health First Aid and Help Build More Compassionate, Resilient Teams.
Join KALM's Mission: 1,000 Certified Mental Health First Aiders
The KALM Institute for Workplace Wellbeing is helping journalists, broadcasters, producers, healthcare professionals, behavioral health specialists, educators, faith leaders, and professionals across industries gain the skills to recognize, support, and respond to mental health challenges with confidence and care.
Professionals trained through KALM represent a wide range of industries — from broadcasting, film, and journalism to healthcare, behavioral health, crisis response, education, construction, real estate, nonprofit leadership, and faith-based organizations.
Participants have included nurses, therapists, psychologists, social workers, crisis support specialists, and leaders committed to building healthier workplaces and communities.
Now is the time to become certified and gain practical, evidence-based tools to support mental wellbeing in your workplace, organization, and community.
Upcoming training dates are now open for registration. Together, we’re creating healthier workplaces, stronger teams, and a more compassionate future.
REGISTER TODAYTRANSFORM YOUR TEAM
Why Mental Health First Aid Training?
Equip Your Leaders with Essential Skills
News leaders often find themselves on the front lines of their teams' mental health challenges. Our training provides them with the tools to:
LEAD WELL
Assess the Risk
Recognize the signs of mental health issues and learn how to approach your news team with care.
LEAD WELL
Listen with Compassion
 Listen non-judgmentally with empathy to colleagues in distress.
LEAD WELL
Give Reassurance
Offer initial help and support to colleagues in distress.
LEAD WELL
Encourage Appropriate Professional Help
Guide your news team toward professional help.
LEAD WELL
Encourage Self-Help
Implement self-care and well-being strategies for yourself to support your team.
NICE TO MEET YOU
Meet Dr. Kortni Alston Lemon, the Founder of KALM.
I’m Dr. Kortni Alston Lemon, a former news director and television reporter who has turned nearly 20 years in journalism into a calling—one centered on advancing workplace well-being in newsrooms. Now a happiness scholar and certified Mental Health First Aid instructor, I specialize in helping news professionals build healthier, more resilient organizational cultures.
I founded the Kortni Alston Lemon Media Institute for Workplace Wellbeing—also known as KALM—to deliver evidence-based training and support for journalists, producers, and newsroom leaders. KALM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to equipping the media industry with tools to foster mental wellness, resilience, and compassionate leadership.
At KALM, we believe that workplace well-being and compassionate leadership are the competitive advantage in today’s demanding media environment.
As we grow our programs and digital presence, this page offers you an early opportunity to engage with one of our signature offerings: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) certification tailored specifically for the news industry.
"Dr. Kortni's training is spot-on for journalists... Dr. Kortni's genuine warmth and caring nature make it easy to open up and trust her. Her training has helped me to become a more authentic leader."
-Â Kim Holt, WSOC-TV
"Dr. Kortni's training is so vital. It comes down to intentionality. We as leaders must create a space to foster self-care, empathy, compassion and belonging in our newsrooms."
- Marie Torres, Spectrum News 1 North Carolina
"Dr. Kortni shows up in a way that garners immediate trust with participants. Having experience as a journalist certainly helps with this, as news leaders know that she understands their challenges."
-Â Samantha Ragland & Emily Ristow, American Press Institute
Â
Why Choose Our Training?
Build Healthier Workplaces and Communities with Mental Health First Aid Certification
Strengthen your organization with Mental Health First Aid certification led by Dr. Kortni Alston Lemon, a certified instructor through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. As a former television reporter and news director turned happiness scholar, Dr. Kortni combines real-world leadership experience with evidence-based wellbeing strategies to deliver engaging, practical training for professionals across industries.
KALM has trained professionals from broadcasting, film, journalism, healthcare, behavioral health, crisis response, education, construction, nonprofit organizations, real estate, and faith-based communities.
This course empowers participants to:
Increase mental health awareness so teams, organizations, and communities have the tools and confidence to support one another.
Understand how workplace culture, stress, and lived experiences influence mental health and wellbeing.
Recognize the importance of early intervention and learn how to respond with compassion, confidence, and care.
Reduce stigma and strengthen communication in professional and community environments.
Ready to Get Certified?
To register for an upcoming Mental Health First Aid certification training, visit www.kalminstitute.org/publicmhfa to view upcoming training dates and join our interest list for future sessions.
Interested in Training Your Team or Organization?
KALM also offers private Mental Health First Aid trainings tailored for companies, organizations, leadership teams, professional associations, and community groups. To learn more about customized training opportunities, email Dr. Kortni at [email protected].
```
Join the Movement
Join the KALM interest list to receive updates about upcoming Mental Health First Aid training dates, workplace wellbeing resources, and special certification opportunities.