Presented by: Hollywood Commission & Amanda M. Edwards, LPC (Executive Director, The Association of Mental Health Coordinators)
Format: Virtual Workshop
Audience: Producers, directors, and production crew
In this interactive workshop, participants will learn how to use a trauma-informed risk analysis framework to evaluate scripts through the lens of psychological safety, participant well-being, and ethical storytelling.
Attendees will learn how to identify scenes, themes, and production elements that may present emotional, psychological, or social risks for cast and crew, while distinguishing between creative intensity and preventable harm. Using AMHC's evidence-informed risk analysis tool, participants will practice assessing scripts, identifying potential areas of concern, and developing practical recommendations to support safer production processes.
The workshop also explores strategies for implementing appropriate safeguards - including pre-production planning, communication practices, access to resources, content notes, consent-forward processes, and cross-department collaboration - to foster creative environments where compelling storytelling and human wellbeing can coexist.
Key Topics Covered:
Risk Analysis in Production: Spotting scenes and themes that carry psychological risks and analyzing production elements impacting cast and crew safety.
Respectful Script Analysis: Prioritizing wellbeing alongside ethical storytelling practices.
Preventable Harm: Preserving creative vision while eliminating unnecessary, harmful working conditions.
Safeguard Implementation Strategies: Planning safeguards during the crucial pre-production phase, including structuring communication practices that support psychological safety.
About Amanda M. Edwards, LPC
Amanda Edwards is the Executive Director of the Association of Mental Health Coordinators. Amanda is an internationally trained and certified Mental Health and Intimacy Coordinator, with certification through the Intimacy Professionals Association. She’s learned from some of the field's most highly regarded pioneers and has a deep passion for the work, which has led to collaborations across genres, platforms, and budgets. She firmly believes every production that requires Mental Health or Intimacy Coordination deserves that support. In between her on-location work across the country, Amanda serves clients with trauma and other mental health conditions through her private practice in Parker, Colorado.