{"id":26882,"date":"2026-05-01T14:40:38","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T18:40:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.grafik.mentalhealthfirstaid.org\/?post_type=case-study&p=26882"},"modified":"2026-05-06T09:39:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T13:39:04","slug":"tapestry-corporate-workforce-mental-health-first-aid","status":"publish","type":"case-study","link":"https:\/\/staging.grafik.mentalhealthfirstaid.org\/es\/case-study\/tapestry-corporate-workforce-mental-health-first-aid\/","title":{"rendered":"How Tapestry Strengthened Its Retail and Corporate Workforce with Mental Health First Aid"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In an industry defined by creativity, customer connection and speed,\u202fTapestry<\/a>\u202fhas\u202fmade mental\u202fwellbeing\u202fa core pillar of its people-centered organization.\u202fThe parent company of\u202ficonic brands\u202fCoach<\/a>\u202fand\u202fkate\u202fspade new york<\/a>\u202fsupports a\u202frichly varied\u202fworkforce across corporate offices, creative studios, fulfillment\u202fcenters\u202fand retail stores. Each employee group faces\u202funique pressures and mental health needs.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To strengthen employee wellbeing in a meaningful and scalable way,\u202fTapestry engaged the National Council for Mental Wellbeing to bring Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) to corporate teams\u202fat\u202fkate\u202fspade new\u202fyork\u202fin 2018.\u202fFive years later,\u202fTapestry built\u202fon this foundation,\u202fbecoming\u202fthe first organization to\u202fadopt\u202fMHFA at Work for Retail<\/a>\u202fin 2023,\u202fa\u202fretail-specific training model designed for the fast-paced, customer-facing realities of\u202fthe\u202fretail\u202findustry.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\u202finvestment has made a difference:\u202fNearly\u202f1,000\u202fTapestry employees have completed MHFA training, and\u202f100% of\u202fthem\u202freport feeling better equipped to support someone\u202fexperiencing a mental health challenge<\/strong>.\u202fIn 2025, Tapestry was\u202fnamed to\u202fNewsweek\u2019s America\u2019s Greatest Workplaces for Mental Well-being 2025 list<\/a>,\u202freinforcing its position as a\u202fretail\u202fleader in mental health support at scale.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the last five years of working together,\u202fthe kate\u202fspade new\u202fyork social impact team helped inform the development of the retail-specific\u202fMHFA\u202fmodel,\u202fwhile Tapestry\u2019s rollout\u202fof\u202fthe training\u202ftransformed\u202fthe\u202fbroader\u202forganizational\u202fculture.\u202fBy embedding MHFA\u202fin its\u202fbrands, departments and job functions, Tapestry is building a workplace where\u202fmental health is integrated into\u202fits employees\u2019\u202feveryday conversation \u2014 strengthening connection,\u202fleadership\u202fand support across all levels of the business.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Tapestry\u202fChose\u202fMHFA at Work\u202f<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Supporting Store\u202fand Corporate\u202fTeams<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u202fModern Retail<\/a>\u202fnoted that retail employees\u202ffrequently\u202fencounter\u202fcustomer stress, financial strain and heightened emotional dynamics, making mental health skills essential for store performance as well as employee wellbeing.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brittany Daniels,\u202fa\u202fkate\u202fspade new york\u202f store leader,\u202fsaid,\u202f\u201cRetail is a space that is ever-changing. Navigating\u202fchange and\u202fdifficulty every day is something we\u202fhave to\u202fdo, and [MHFA] equipped us to do it.\u201d\u202fShe added that MHFA equipped\u202fstore associates with skills to improve\u202fcustomer\u202finteractions.\u202f\u201cI think they leave our stores understanding that we care about them, not just their purchase.\u201d\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cRetail is a space that is ever-changing. Navigating\u202fchange and\u202fdifficulty every day is something we\u202fhave to\u202fdo, and [MHFA] equipped us to do it.\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Brittany Daniels<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Store leader, kate spade new york<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Creative and product development teams\u202ftypically\u202fface intense deadlines and pressure for precision. As Lissette\u202fSiesholtz,\u202fsenior\u202fdirector of\u202ftechnical\u202fdesign at\u202fkate\u202fspade new york and a certified MHFA employee,\u202fsaid,\u202f\u201cWe put a lot of pressure on ourselves sometimes, and that can lead to burnout. It’s\u202fimportant that we create an environment of psychological safety where people feel like they can tell their manager when they need to take a rest and that rest will be respected.\u201d\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strengthening Leadership\u202fand\u202fConnection\u202f <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

MHFA\u202ftraining\u202fbuilds core leadership skills \u2014 noticing shifts in behavior, asking supportive questions, listening\u202fdeeply\u202fto the\u202fanswers\u202fand responding with empathy.\u202fMike Brooks,\u202fa\u202fstore\u202fmanager at Coach,\u202fsaid,\u202f\u201cMHFA prepares me to be a better manager\u202fbecause I\u2019m more open\u202fto\u202flistening\u202fto the things that aren\u2019t being said.\u201d\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Executive leaders agree. \u201cMental Health First\u202fAid\u202fis a wonderful program. I wish we had known about\u202fit\u202fyears ago,\u201d said Beth Stankard, senior vice president and head of human resources at Coach and talent acquisition at Tapestry, emphasizing how MHFA aligns with Tapestry\u2019s vision for a more connected and psychologically safe workplace. With\u202femployees modeling\u202fskills learned through MHFA, teams across\u202fTapestry are recognizing shifts in how they communicate, check in with one another and create space for mental health conversations.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMental Health First\u202fAid\u202fis a wonderful program. I wish we had known about\u202fit\u202fyears ago\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Beth Stankard<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senior vice president, Tapestry<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Aligning With Tapestry\u2019s Values\u202f <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As a people-centered company, Tapestry invites employees to bring their individuality to work and supports them personally and professionally. Employees regularly share that wellbeing is an area they want to hear more about and is a top priority in their employee experience.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to this feedback, Tapestry founded Priority You, a global, employee-led, community wellbeing group. This group offers resources and programming on financial health, nutrition, exercise, mental health and more, including MHFA certification.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe saw Mental Health First Aid\u202fas a worthy investment because we care about our employees and want them to feel seen as humans first,\u201d said\u202fSiesholtz, a Priority You co-leader.\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Implementation\u202fand\u202fScale\u202f<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2023, the National Council\u202fexpanded the MHFA at Work curriculum\u202fwith\u202fthe industry-specific\u202fMHFA at Work for Retail<\/a>,\u202foffered with a self-paced learning\u202foption. This enhancement\u202freflected\u202fthe realities of retail and corporate roles,\u202ffrom customer de-escalation scenarios to workplace burnout and stress.\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tapestry\u202fwas the first organization to implement\u202fMHFA at Work\u202ffor Retail<\/a>,\u202fdelivering both virtual and in-person\u202ftraining\u202fto maximize access for store, corporate and fulfillment teams\u202facross\u202fCoach and kate\u202fspade new york.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Results\u202fand\u202fImpact\u202f <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Quantitative Outcomes*\u202f\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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981\u202f<\/strong>Tapestry employees trained in MHFA across all brands.<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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100%<\/strong>\u202fof learners reported feeling confident supporting\u202fsomeone experiencing a mental health challenge, a\u202f50%<\/strong>\u202fincrease prior to completing the training, according to an internal survey\u202f<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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85.4%<\/strong>\u202fof learners reported having increased intentions to help someone with a mental health or substance use challenge after taking MHFA at Work for Retail.\u202f<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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90.2%<\/strong>\u202fof learners found MHFA at Work for Retail to be relevant to their lives.\u202f<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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93.3%<\/strong>\u202fof learners thought the course was well designed.\u202f<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

*As of\u202fDec. 2025<\/em>\u202f<\/strong> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Qualitative Impact\u202f<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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