One of the biggest hurdles in supporting mental health in first responders is getting an organization’s leadership to make it a priority. While some leaders may support mental health initiatives in theory, actual resources and commitment are needed to bring about change in an organization.

Making the business case to an organization’s leadership is key to overcoming that hurdle. The business case needs to be persuasive and to show how taking action will benefit the organization and its workers.

This guide outlines a nine-step approach to developing the business case:

1. Identify the decision makers
2. Gather the data
3. Perform a gap analysis
4. Identify the resources
5. Find case studies
6. Present the opportunities
7. Present the challenges
8. Define the next steps
9. Present your case
10. Details on each of these steps are provided in the following section.