Are you setting your Mental Health First Aiders up to fail?

Do you have trained Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAider®) in your organisation?

Are they supported in their roles?

Are they linked into your organisational approach to wellbeing?

Once you have trained your MHFAiders this is the start of an exciting workplace journey. MHFAiders can support colleagues who are struggling with their wellbeing, are managing mental illness or are in crisis. They are trained to listen non-judgmentally, to spot the signs and symptoms of poor mental health and to signpost people to the appropriate service. However, in order to succeed, their role in the workplace needs to be fully understood by all member of your organisation, and by the MHFAiders themselves. This means clear guidelines on expectations and boundaries of the role. MHFA’s cannot be used as a tick box exercise for wellbeing or we are setting them up to fail. Their role is to support others and to signpost to appropriate professional support. They are not trained to give long-term support or as a replacement for counselling.

MHFAiders need support in their role, the role needs promoting across the organisation and this needs to be embedded within your wider workplace wellbeing approach.

At Promote Mental Health we offer ‘MHFA Support Networks’ for trained MHFAiders. These networks can provide guidance, support and confidence to anyone in the role. Network sessions can include:

• peer to peer support,
• troubleshooting
• upskilling
• topical breakouts
• guidance on promotion of the role
• guidance on workplace strategies.

The networks are usually scheduled quarterly, or more frequently if required. They are led and supported by Promote Mental Health alongside key members of your organisation, usually an MHFA Lead or a member of HR. The network session will be tailored and guided by your needs. We will help to establish the group, and then step back for these to be run by the MHFA lead, with support from us when needed. We can help develop guidelines on the role and expectations, strategies and action plans to help implement and embed the role. A mental health network for your first aiders will help them survive and thrive in their roles. They are fundamental to the successful implementation of MHFA within your organisation.

Promote Mental Health can also help you to select the right employees to take on the role of a MHFAider. MHFAiders need to be self-selecting and in the right place emotionally to be able to support others and manage their own mental health. The role of a MHFAider is voluntary and at any stage, they feel unable to fulfil the role they are able to step back or opt out. We can help you set out promotional material clearly explaining the role of the MHFAiders and the expectations of this role within your organisation, making recruitment successful from the very beginning.

For more information on selecting the right people to become MHFAiders, networks to support new or existing MHFAiders, training in MHFA or MHFA Refresher training (due every 2-3 years), get in touch with us at Promote Mental Health.