
Episode 368: On Mental Health for leaders
From DCO Discourse... by Distress and Crisis Ontario
February 16, 2026 · 39 min · Season 4
About this episode
Vijay and Hailey Hechtman discuss the importance of mental wellbeing as a leadership practice and how organizations can support their employees.
In this episode, Vijay sits down with Hailey Hechtman, Executive Director of Unsinkable, to unpack what it really means to treat mental wellbeing as a leadership practice. They explore burnout, workplace vulnerability, and how organizations can move beyond stigma to create cultures that actually support people. Drawing on Hailey’s lived experience and crisis-sector leadership, the conversation dives into the power of mental health storytelling and what it takes to sustain optimism while doing emotionally demanding work. Visit Unsinkable to see the great work they're doing in supporting mental health through story telling
People in this episode
Host: Vijay
Guest: Hailey Hechtman
Topics covered
- mental health
- leadership
- burnout
- workplace vulnerability
- organizational culture
Keywords
- mental wellbeing
- stigma
- storytelling
- optimism
- crisis-sector leadership
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Unsinkable
Books & works: On Mental Health for leaders
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