We are delighted our HR Director Helen Price-Evans is now qualified as a Mental Health First Aider.
We think Enzo our Head of Employee and Client Welfare fully supports this given his reaction when Helen received the certificate.
In these challenging times, it’s even more crucial to be able to effectively support our clients and their employees in the workplace and to be a direct point of contact for an employee who is experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress.
This interaction could range from having an initial conversation through to supporting the person to get appropriate help. As well as in a crisis, Mental Health First Aiders are valuable in providing early intervention help for someone who may be developing a mental health issue.
Mental Health First Aiders are not trained to be therapists or psychiatrists but they can offer initial support through non-judgemental listening and guidance.
What can we help with as a Mental Health First Aider?
− Spot the early signs and symptoms of mental ill-health.
− Start a supportive conversation with a colleague who maybe
experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress.
− Listen to the person non-judgementally.
− Assess the risk of suicide or self-harm.
− Encourage the person to access appropriate professional support
or self-help strategies. This might include encouraging access to internal
support systems such as EAPs or in-house counseling services.
− Escalate to the appropriate emergency services, if necessary.
− Maintain confidentiality as appropriate.
− Complete critical incident documents as and when necessary.
− Protect themselves while performing their role.
At no time does the Mental Health First Aider role (or anyone trained in MHFA skills) supersede company policy: first and foremost they are all employees of the company.
Just as a company has policies and procedures in place covering what employees need to do if you suspect someone is at risk (for example, where the first step is always to escalate for advice and support), we advise putting together a policy document to outline your organisation’s approach to MHFA.
You can contact us to do this in confidence by completing our secure contact form
Alternatively call us direct on 01243-607357 or email [email protected]
