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Half Day | Max. 16 Participants
Workshop Outcomes
- Understand how trauma and stress affect memory, language, behaviour and engagement during investigations
- Apply trauma-informed principles while maintaining procedural fairness and neutrality
- Use evidence-based interviewing techniques that reduce distress and improve information quality
- Recognise verbal and non-verbal indicators of escalation or shutdown
- Respond safely and ethically to disclosures without overstepping professional boundaries
- Identify and manage bias and assumptions related to “vulnerability” and credibility
- Understand ethical responsibilities and limits of investigator competence
- Activate appropriate pathways to care and support
- Implement strategies to reduce vicarious trauma and protect investigator wellbeing
Topics Covered
- Trauma and the brain (investigator-relevant overview)
- Neuropsychology of language and memory under stress
- Interviewing in high-stress and sensitive contexts
- Verbal and non-verbal communication cues
- Managing distress during interviews
- Bias, assumptions and credibility traps
- Ethics, procedural fairness and professional boundaries
- Responding to disclosures and activating pathways to care
- Investigator wellbeing and vicarious trauma management
Location
- Willing to work remote
- Willing to work interstate
- Willing to work internationally
How can this workshop be delivered?
- Face to face
Overview
Investigations into workplace incidents, complaints and misconduct can unintentionally escalate distress, compromise evidence and increase organisational risk—particularly where trauma, stress or psychosocial hazards are present.
This workshop provides WHS and People and Culture professionals with a practical, evidence-based approach to conducting trauma-informed workplace investigations. It goes beyond awareness of trauma and focuses on how investigations are planned, conducted and managed—including interviewing under stress, language and memory considerations, managing disclosures, ethical boundaries and investigator wellbeing.
Participants learn how trauma and heightened stress can affect communication, recall and behaviour, how to structure interviews that are fair, neutral and psychologically safe, how to respond appropriately when distress or disclosures arise and how to recognise the limits of their role while activating appropriate pathways to care.
The training is designed for real-world application and supports organisations to strengthen psychosocial safety, investigative capability and confidence across WHS and HR functions.
Workshop Outcomes
- Understand how trauma and stress affect memory, language, behaviour and engagement during investigations
- Apply trauma-informed principles while maintaining procedural fairness and neutrality
- Use evidence-based interviewing techniques that reduce distress and improve information quality
- Recognise verbal and non-verbal indicators of escalation or shutdown
- Respond safely and ethically to disclosures without overstepping professional boundaries
- Identify and manage bias and assumptions related to “vulnerability” and credibility
- Understand ethical responsibilities and limits of investigator competence
- Activate appropriate pathways to care and support
- Implement strategies to reduce vicarious trauma and protect investigator wellbeing
Topics Covered
- Trauma and the brain (investigator-relevant overview)
- Neuropsychology of language and memory under stress
- Interviewing in high-stress and sensitive contexts
- Verbal and non-verbal communication cues
- Managing distress during interviews
- Bias, assumptions and credibility traps
- Ethics, procedural fairness and professional boundaries
- Responding to disclosures and activating pathways to care
- Investigator wellbeing and vicarious trauma management
Who is this workshop for
• WHS professionals involved in incident management and investigations
• HR/People and Culture teams
• Employee relations, integrity and conduct teams
• Internal investigators and investigation managers
• Leaders responsible for complaint intake, triage or investigation oversight
Handouts/materials provided
• Facilitator-led, interactive workshop
• Practical case examples and applied exercises
• Small-group discussion and skills practice
• Investigation scripts, checklists and decision tools provided
What to bring
Participants are encouraged to bring:
• An open, reflective mindset
• A willingness to engage in discussion and practical exercises
• A notebook or device for personal notes (optional)
No prior psychology or investigation training is required.
The workshop covers sensitive workplace scenarios. Participants are encouraged to take care of themselves throughout the session and step out if needed. Support resources can be discussed during the workshop.
Facilitator
About the facilitator
Tenneile Manenti is a Registered Psychologist with over 20 years’ experience across clinical, forensic, organisational and senior leadership roles. She has worked extensively in high-risk, high-pressure environments, supporting individuals, leaders and organisations to strengthen psychological safety, mental health, wellbeing and performance.
Her background spans criminal and juvenile justice settings, organisational psychology, consulting and executive leadership within emergency services. Tenneile brings deep expertise in psychosocial risk management, trauma-informed systems, workplace culture and the impact of leadership behaviours on safety and wellbeing. Her work is informed by postgraduate research into Corporate Psychopathy and Dark Triad behaviours and extensive experience designing and implementing large-scale mental health and safety initiatives.
Examples of Tenneile’s experience include:
- Designing and establishing the first in-house psychological services within a large emergency services organisation, including operating models, clinical governance, referral pathways and critical incident response frameworks
- Leading the development and implementation of an integrated mental health and wellbeing strategy for a complex, volunteer-based workforce operating in high-risk environments
- Designing and delivering psychosocial risk assessment frameworks, policies, and controls for large organisations prior to legislative requirements, supporting improved compliance, safety outcomes and organisational capability
- Designing and implementing psychosocial risk management training for a national security client, building leadership and workforce capability to identify, assess and control psychosocial hazards
- Developing and delivering a targeted workplace intervention for a national security organisation to address psychosocial hazards including role overload, poor role clarity, lack of leadership support, low psychological safety, limited autonomy and reduced role control
- Developing and implementing a leadership development series for a large national intelligence organisation focused on mental health literacy, navigating mental health disclosures, reducing stigma, strengthening psychological safety and aligning leadership behaviour with organisational purpose and values
- Leading joint-agency initiatives across multiple emergency service organisations to improve coordination, safety governance and workforce wellbeing
- Designing and delivering leadership, safety culture and psychological safety programs for large workforces (250+), integrating neuroscience, performance psychology, communication and human factors
- Leading a global facilitation team to modernise a flagship leadership and safety culture program, including the development of a premium train-the-trainer model delivered across multiple countries
- Supporting leaders and teams through organisational change, critical incidents, trauma exposure and complex workforce environments while maintaining safety and operational performance
Tenneile is passionate about helping individuals and organisations create safer, healthier and more human workplaces. Her approach is evidence-based, practical and grounded in lived experience, with a strong focus on psychological safety, leadership capability and sustainable performance.
Qualifications, Registrations and Memberships:
- Registered Psychologist – Psychology Board of Australia (AHPRA)
- Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Psychology)
- Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)
- Master of Organisational Psychology
- Certificate in Project Management (Agile)
- Member, Australian Association of Psychologists
Key Expertise
- Psychosocial Risk
- Organisational Culture
- Cumulative Trauma and Risk
- Workplace Mental Health
- Leadership Development
Industry Focus
- Government
- Local Council
- Emergency Services
- First Responders, Health and Hospitals
- Mining and Energy
Based in:
About the facilitator
Tenneile Manenti is a Registered Psychologist with over 20 years’ experience across clinical, forensic, organisational and senior leadership roles. She has worked extensively in high-risk, high-pressure environments, supporting individuals, leaders and organisations to strengthen psychological safety, mental health, wellbeing and performance.
Her background spans criminal and juvenile justice settings, organisational psychology, consulting and executive leadership within emergency services. Tenneile brings deep expertise in psychosocial risk management, trauma-informed systems, workplace culture and the impact of leadership behaviours on safety and wellbeing. Her work is informed by postgraduate research into Corporate Psychopathy and Dark Triad behaviours and extensive experience designing and implementing large-scale mental health and safety initiatives.
Examples of Tenneile’s experience include:
- Designing and establishing the first in-house psychological services within a large emergency services organisation, including operating models, clinical governance, referral pathways and critical incident response frameworks
- Leading the development and implementation of an integrated mental health and wellbeing strategy for a complex, volunteer-based workforce operating in high-risk environments
- Designing and delivering psychosocial risk assessment frameworks, policies, and controls for large organisations prior to legislative requirements, supporting improved compliance, safety outcomes and organisational capability
- Designing and implementing psychosocial risk management training for a national security client, building leadership and workforce capability to identify, assess and control psychosocial hazards
- Developing and delivering a targeted workplace intervention for a national security organisation to address psychosocial hazards including role overload, poor role clarity, lack of leadership support, low psychological safety, limited autonomy and reduced role control
- Developing and implementing a leadership development series for a large national intelligence organisation focused on mental health literacy, navigating mental health disclosures, reducing stigma, strengthening psychological safety and aligning leadership behaviour with organisational purpose and values
- Leading joint-agency initiatives across multiple emergency service organisations to improve coordination, safety governance and workforce wellbeing
- Designing and delivering leadership, safety culture and psychological safety programs for large workforces (250+), integrating neuroscience, performance psychology, communication and human factors
- Leading a global facilitation team to modernise a flagship leadership and safety culture program, including the development of a premium train-the-trainer model delivered across multiple countries
- Supporting leaders and teams through organisational change, critical incidents, trauma exposure and complex workforce environments while maintaining safety and operational performance
Tenneile is passionate about helping individuals and organisations create safer, healthier and more human workplaces. Her approach is evidence-based, practical and grounded in lived experience, with a strong focus on psychological safety, leadership capability and sustainable performance.
Qualifications, Registrations and Memberships:
- Registered Psychologist – Psychology Board of Australia (AHPRA)
- Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Psychology)
- Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)
- Master of Organisational Psychology
- Certificate in Project Management (Agile)
- Member, Australian Association of Psychologists
Key Expertise
- Psychosocial Risk
- Organisational Culture
- Cumulative Trauma and Risk
- Workplace Mental Health
- Leadership Development
Industry Focus
- Government
- Local Council
- Emergency Services
- First Responders, Health and Hospitals
- Mining and Energy
Based in:
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