As promised, I’m back and this week we’re talking about Mental Health First Aid.
What is Mental Health First Aid and the benefits?
Mental Health First Aid is the mental health equivalent of physical first aid. This training is internationally recognised and designed to raise the awareness of mental health and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues.
Scarily, statistics show one in four of us are likely to experience a mental
health problem each year which is likely to impact on our relationships, wellbeing and ability to work.
Not only can Mental Health First Aiders spot the signs early, they can also offer the much-needed support in times of crisis and direct to helpful resources, tools and professional medical assistance.
GC Mental Health First Aiders
As part of our health and wellbeing programme, we trained a cohort of Mental Health First Aiders to support colleagues across the Group with practical advice and guidance on managing and maintaining our mental health.
They are there for you to use at a time of crisis or act as a point of contact, reassurance and guidance when it is needed. The role of a Mental Health First Aider is not to give ongoing support or counselling therefore if you do use the service, you will be encouraged to contact professional services for any longer term needs.
That being said, we’ve trained your colleagues to be Mental Health First Aiders for you to use and to support you especially when you are struggling, so I really would encourage you to use them if you need to. Unfortunately due to our current working conditions, we are unable to provide face-to-face support however they are still available via email, Skype or the contact numbers in the spreadsheet.
This service is available for all GC employees during working hours. For out of office hours services you can use our Employee Assistance Programme, they are available 24/7 to give free, confidential advice on a range of issues. You can contact the helpline by telephone on 0800 030 5182 or visit the health portal (username: Growth, password: Company).
More information on the Mental Health First Aid service is on the Coronavirus hub.
Meet Rachel Maclean, one of our Mental Health First Aiders
But enough from me - meet one of our Mental Health First Aiders, Rachel Maclean, who talks about why she took on the role and the advice she would give to anyone struggling with their Mental Health especially while we’re living with such uncertainty:
“Hi, my name is Rachel Maclean and I work in GC Employment as a Key Worker. I wanted to be a Mental Health First Aider because I believe mental health should be given the same level of attention as physical health and given the same amount of effort. I think it is important to understand mental health and know how to talk about it, especially in the workplace.
As promised, I’m back and this week we’re talking about Mental Health First Aid.
What is Mental Health First Aid and the benefits?
Mental Health First Aid is the mental health equivalent of physical first aid. This training is internationally recognised and designed to raise the awareness of mental health and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues.
Scarily, statistics show one in four of us are likely to experience a mental
health problem each year which is likely to impact on our relationships, wellbeing and ability to work.
Not only can Mental Health First Aiders spot the signs early, they can also offer the much-needed support in times of crisis and direct to helpful resources, tools and professional medical assistance.
GC Mental Health First Aiders
As part of our health and wellbeing programme, we trained a cohort of Mental Health First Aiders to support colleagues across the Group with practical advice and guidance on managing and maintaining our mental health.
They are there for you to use at a time of crisis or act as a point of contact, reassurance and guidance when it is needed. The role of a Mental Health First Aider is not to give ongoing support or counselling therefore if you do use the service, you will be encouraged to contact professional services for any longer term needs.
That being said, we’ve trained your colleagues to be Mental Health First Aiders for you to use and to support you especially when you are struggling, so I really would encourage you to use them if you need to. Unfortunately due to our current working conditions, we are unable to provide face-to-face support however they are still available via email, Skype or the contact numbers in the spreadsheet.
This service is available for all GC employees during working hours. For out of office hours services you can use our Employee Assistance Programme, they are available 24/7 to give free, confidential advice on a range of issues. You can contact the helpline by telephone on 0800 030 5182 or visit the health portal (username: Growth, password: Company).
More information on the Mental Health First Aid service is on the Coronavirus hub.
Meet Rachel Maclean, one of our Mental Health First Aiders
But enough from me - meet one of our Mental Health First Aiders, Rachel Maclean, who talks about why she took on the role and the advice she would give to anyone struggling with their Mental Health especially while we’re living with such uncertainty:
“Hi, my name is Rachel Maclean and I work in GC Employment as a Key Worker. I wanted to be a Mental Health First Aider because I believe mental health should be given the same level of attention as physical health and given the same amount of effort. I think it is important to understand mental health and know how to talk about it, especially in the workplace.
There are lots of myths and outdated stereotypes – it's a complex topic and unique to everyone so having trained employees to support their colleagues is a great idea.
I attended a group training session (lasting two full days) with Mental Health First Aid England. We were also given materials to use in the future and are supported with regular mental health first aid meetings. On top of this, I have also completed other mental health courses in my own time to further my knowledge and qualifications.
I have already provided mental health first aid to several colleagues who said they found it of great use and supported them, which makes it all worthwhile. These included:
- Helping a colleague who was having a panic attack
- Supporting a colleague who lost a partner with grief and low mood
- Encouraged a colleague to make their first steps to contact their GP to receive support for anxiety.
The advice I would give to anyone struggling with their mental health is to talk about it! Whether that’s with a friend, family, partner, Mental Health First Aider or a GP. There are a lot of people and organisations out there to help and support you. Don’t be afraid to speak out and ask for help.”
Last thing from me, Action for Happiness have released the joyful June calendar which gives you an action a day to help you look after yourself and others as we face this pandemic together – I know I’ll need to use it some days.
Finally, just a reminder that our survey closes on Friday so if you haven’t yet had a chance to complete it, please do over the next few days.
Hope you are well.