Meet ALPA’s ‘Are You in the Green?’ Administrators

As May is internationally recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month, Air Line Pilot recently sat down with F/O Chris Arnold (United), ALPA’s Air Safety Organization (ASO) Pilot Assistance Group vice chair, and F/O Carrie Braun (JetBlue), ASO Pilot Peer Support program chair, to discuss the union’s “Are You in the Green?” campaign, which was introduced last year. Together, they reviewed the impetus for and background of this important program and examined how it’s evolved since its launch last year.

Air Line Pilot: Chris, remind us about what the Are You in the Green? campaign is about and why it’s so important?

Arnold: The campaign’s name comes from the mental-health continuum—a simple visual that helps us understand mental health as a spectrum. When we’re “in the green,” we’re feeling focused, balanced, and capable. On the other end of the scale, the red zone reflects times when our mental health and performance are more seriously impacted. It’s important to know that we all move along the different phases of this spectrum, depending upon life events and their influence over our stress and fatigue levels.

We want to give pilots the tools and confidence to manage their mental well-being just as they would their physical health. This means understanding that mental health is dynamic, recognizing the early signs of concern, and knowing when and where to get help.

The campaign is about moving the conversation forward. We talk openly about back pain or fatigue, and we should also feel safe discussing stress, anxiety, or depression. When we normalize these conversations, we reduce health-care avoidance and create space for early intervention, giving pilots the opportunity to address concerns before they escalate and become more serious. The earlier we act, the better the outcomes—for our health, our careers, and our profession.

ALP: How have the Association and ALPA’s pilot groups responded to the campaign?

Arnold: It’s been a very positive experience so far. Our goal with Are You in the Green? has been twofold: to educate our members and promote greater awareness. We believe the most effective way to do that is by empowering our dedicated pilot group volunteers to lead these efforts at their individual properties.

We’ve seen some truly creative and meaningful engagement, whether it’s organizing ballpark outings, developing targeted communications and podcasts, or setting up mental-health awareness tables in training centers. These initiatives were all driven by peer leaders who saw the value in connecting with pilots where they are.

We’re incredibly grateful for their dedication, and we’ll continue working to provide the tools and resources that support their efforts. Their leadership is what brings this campaign to life.

ALP: How are you building on the campaign since its launch last year?

Arnold: This year, we’re excited to expand Are You in the Green? with new content and resources. Most notably, we’ll be releasing three new podcasts:

• Meet the Mental-Health Professionals
• Regulatory Updates
• A Look into a Peer Support Call

In addition, we’re featuring a recorded presentation on resilience by James Boomhower, a health-care provider, activist, and mental-health advocate, that will be available at alpa.org/green. Throughout May, ALPA’s FastRead publications are spotlighting events and initiatives happening across ALPA’s master executive councils. These local efforts are a critical part of bringing visibility to the concepts of mental well-being and peer support.

At the end of the day, this campaign is about encouraging proactive engagement. You don’t need to wait until something feels off to reach out. Your local Pilot Peer Support (PPS) Committee is a confidential, judgment-free place to start a conversation.

Keep in mind that modern aviation is one of the most complex and high-performing industries in the world. We’ve built a global benchmark for safety, precision, and professionalism. But when it comes to mental health, the conversation too often remains in the shadows—only surfacing after a crisis or incident.

It’s time we bring mental health to the forefront—not just as a safety issue, but as a core element of pilot performance. Just like we train for emergencies and prioritize efficiency, we should all support mental fitness as a key component of readiness and resilience.

Mental health affects focus, decision-making, communication, and judgment, the very skills we need to perform on the flight deck every day. Addressing it openly and proactively isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s an investment in safety, professionalism, and our ability to perform at our best.

ALP: Carrie, how does ALPA’s Pilot Peer Support program fit into the Are You in the Green? campaign?

Braun: Our goal as peer supporters is to help pilots maintain or return to their green status so that they can safely perform their duties on the flight deck. Again, green represents the healthiest stage of the color-coded mental-health continuum.

Pilot peers are available 24/7 at 309-PPS-ALPA (309-777-2572) to talk with ALPA members about what they may be encountering and offer resources as necessary. If your pilot group has an independent support line (e.g., Alaska PPS, Canadian Pilot Assistance, Delta PAN, FedEx Express PATH, JetBlue PAN, and United SOAR), we encourage you to call that number, but you can still use the national PPS number to be directed to your service.

Our campaign website, alpa.org/green, is another good place for pilots to access various resources and information to help them self-evaluate and determine whether they’re fit to fly. Education is an important component of Are You in the Green? because pilots need to consider the issues and events impacting their lives and the resulting level of stress they may be experiencing.

Our mental state is fluid; our emotional well-being is a reflection of our circumstances and regularly changes with our daily experiences. The ultimate goal of the Pilot Peer Support program is to provide assistance not only for the welfare of our members, but to establish another layer of aviation safety.

ALP: How does maintaining mental wellness improve your performance both in your career and in your everyday life?

Braun: When we’re in a state of mental well-being, we sleep better, feel better, and, ultimately, perform better, not just in our jobs but in every aspect of our lives. If you want to make the most of everything you engage in, it’s important to embrace a healthy lifestyle, and that includes consciously addressing your mental health.

An important component of maintaining mental well-being is recognizing that if you fall somewhere else along the mental-health spectrum, there are measures you can take to return to the green. When confronted with life’s challenges, a mentally healthy person makes the necessary accommodations to respond. These include accessing any resources needed to assist that individual’s ability to cope and recover, to bounce back from adversity. However, this kind of resilience doesn’t occur in isolation. The resources I’m talking about are a support network, a community we can interact with.

We know that it’s critical to have two pilots on the flight deck because it’s important to have those different perspectives to confirm observations, share viewpoints, and consider alternatives. This interaction promotes productivity and a safer work environment.

This same philosophy also applies to mental health. We’re social beings, and feeling a sense of connection with others gives us a sense of belonging and helps to ensure we’re able to thrive. Alternatively, mental health often declines with feelings of detachment and loneliness.

ALP: Have you noticed any trends since the program launched last year?

Braun: I think last year’s campaign helped set the stage for what we hope to accomplish this year. I have no doubt that more pilots are consciously making the effort to self-evaluate before they set foot on the flight deck, and we’ll continue to spread the word and staff the Pilot Peer Support line so that our members have access to this important resource.

Throughout the industry, there’s greater visibility and broader awareness about pilot mental wellness. The FAA and Transport Canada are making more of an effort to revisit these topics in their communications and related policy making.

A lot of new material is being posted on social media. However, I would caution that there’s also a lot of disinformation—speculation and premature conclusions about recent events and other opinions that don’t serve the greater good. It’s important that we always look at the source to make sure it’s from reputable outlets.

For the most accurate, up-to-date information, I recommend pilots access alpa.org/green.

This article was originally published in the May 2025 issue of Air Line Pilot.