For 25 years, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing’s Middle Management Academy has demonstrated a key truth: When middle managers thrive, behavioral health care organizations succeed. Launched in 2001, this 30-hour training program was created for early-career middle managers at behavioral health organizations, including department supervisors, team leads and project managers. The Middle Management Academy combines industry-specific leadership content with practical tools managers can use right away. This leadership training has helped thousands of learners develop the skills, community and confidence to lead complex teams with clarity and purpose — strengthening organizations from within.
The Vision That Started It All
When the Middle Management Academy first launched in 2001, it was born from the basic insight that middle managers are the bridge between organizational vision and day-to-day reality. But without preparation, support or community, these leaders are left to figure out people management on the fly.
“Middle managers translate strategy into meaningful work that supports staff mental wellbeing, team cohesion and service quality. Yet most middle managers do not feel adequately trained, supported or prepared.”
Middle managers are the glue that holds strategy, service delivery and team mental wellbeing together. They interpret executive goals into daily practice, support staff through change and sustain the organization’s mission in moments of uncertainty. And yet, they are not always supported. According to a SHRM 2024 research report, 40% of people managers reported a decline in their mental health after they took on the role.
Jeanne Supin, president and CEO of Art of Management, has been facilitating Middle Management Academy trainings for more than 20 years. In a recent Wellbeing Wednesdays conversation (embedded below), she explained that middle managers don’t just execute strategy: “Middle managers translate strategy into meaningful work that supports staff mental wellbeing, team cohesion and service quality. Yet most middle managers do not feel adequately trained, supported or prepared.”
Recognizing this need, the National Council was the first in the field to invest in middle managers’ success by creating an experiential learning academy specifically for them. The Middle Management Academy remains the National Council’s longest-running program, affirming the organization’s commitment to the managers of today and the leaders of tomorrow.
Evolving to Support Middle Managers
The Middle Management Academy typically combines up to 25 hours of live instruction delivered in cohort formats that mix discussion, interactive activities and peer learning. In-person cohorts span several intensive days, while virtual formats unfold over weekly sessions, offering flexibility and connection.
The course training objectives have remained steady over 25 years:
Rejuvenate and reenergize managers.
Provide practical skills and tools that are immediately actionable.
Boost confidence.
Create a cohort community.
Yet other aspects of the Middle Management Academy continue to change to meet current and future trends. To keep pace with increasing demand, it now has two trainers, Supin and Johanna Bergan. Content and exercises are frequently updated to ensure they remain relevant for mental health and substance use recovery managers. And as managers juggle heavier workloads and greater complexity, the Middle Management Academy has shifted from a broad “survey course” agenda to focus on fewer topics and give more space to think, reflect, discuss and reconnect with the purpose of leadership.
In fact, learners’ course feedback frequently emphasizes the benefit of this single change — allowing managers to breathe, step away from constant pressures at work and focus on learning.
25+
years running.
6500+
middle managers trained.
30+
hours of available training.
Community, Collaboration and Concrete Results
According to Supin, the Middle Management Academy is defined by two core strengths.
The first is its commitment to cohort‑based learning. As virtual and hybrid work environments have become widespread, training participants increasingly crave genuine connection. While Supin anticipates continued interest in solo, asynchronous and competency‑based learning, she notes that managers are more eager than ever to share space, time and ideas with one another.
The second strength is the Middle Management Academy’s culminating group project. Learners collaborate to design and present an actionable improvement initiative rooted in their real‑world experience. In just a few hours, groups produce thoughtful, detailed, sophisticated plans they can immediately bring back to their organizations. Executive leaders are invited to attend the final presentations, and many projects continue to gain traction after the program ends.
One recent group redesigned its organization’s onboarding process. Six months later, colleagues in a new cohort praised the revamped system — unaware that it had originated as a Middle Management Academy project! In another cohort, participants tackled long‑standing divisions between clinical and finance teams, proposing a funding strategy that had previously seemed out of reach. After the program, those departments used the project’s momentum to overcome obstacles and secure the funding they needed.
With peer cohort learning, an actionable final project and industry‑specific content, the Middle Management Academy is a uniquely powerful opportunity for growth.
More than 6,500 learners have completed the Middle Management Academy since 2001. Alumni have gone on to transform teams, strengthen organizational culture, and build workplaces where people can do their best work. Participants consistently report that it helped them:
Act with greater confidence in challenging situations.
Facilitate meetings with clarity and purpose.
Lead with empathy while holding teams accountable.
Celebrating 25 Years and Counting
As we celebrate this milestone, we recognize the leaders who have guided teams and turned vision into reality. The Middle Management Academy is more than just a course — it’s a dynamic force promoting leadership, resilience and purpose.
Supin sees a bright future for the Middle Management Academy, with growth in the field, new learning methods and increased AI capabilities enhancing its scope and value. Despite technological advancements, the fundamental human need to support, engage and collaborate will remain unchanged. “For me personally, it’s unusual and a deep honor to deliver the same training for a quarter of a century,” Supin said. “Until I retire, I will continue to benefit from new knowledge and inspiration with each cohort.”
In 2026, Supin will partner with the National Council to offer additional management skill development through self-paced modules, team exercises and live discussions. This complements existing training formats and makes courses more accessible for those who were previously unable to attend live sessions. Regardless of the format, the Middle Management Academy focuses on practical learning from faculty and peers. Its goal is to help managers engage and empower staff, improve accountability, give effective feedback, handle tough conversations and navigate change.
Watch Supin’s interview below on our Wellbeing Wednesdays podcast series to dive deeper into the training, or visit the Middle Management Academy page for more information.
The Leadership Link: Helping Middle Managers Thrive
Attend the Training at NatCon!
Interested in taking the Middle Management Academy training and attending NatCon in Denver? Join us for an exclusive Middle Management Academy preconference event April 22-25.