Calling all Mental Health First Aiders! ??

[Tony Johnson]

Hello everyone. In my experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness, I’ve seen first hand how mental health challenges can often go unnoticed or unaddressed. This is why I’m so passionate about promoting Mental Health First Aid. Just like physical first aid, being prepared to offer the right kind of support in these situations can be truly life-changing. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you wished you had more knowledge about how to provide immediate assistance? Have you undergone any Mental Health First Aid training or workshops? What resources or strategies have you found helpful in promoting mental health awareness and providing practical help when needed? Looking forward to an enriching discussion!

[Jaie]

Thank you for sharing your insights and passion for promoting Mental Health First Aid. Your experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness resonates with me, as I believe that mental health challenges within vulnerable populations often require specific attention and understanding. I completely agree with your perspective on the importance of being prepared to offer the right kind of support, just like in physical first aid. It’s remarkable how even a small intervention can make a significant difference in someone’s life, especially when mental health concerns are involved. To answer your question, yes, I have found myself in situations where I wished I had more knowledge about providing immediate assistance. This realisation actually fuelled my decision to study Rehabilitation Counselling and Mental Health. It’s my belief that by enhancing our knowledge and skills, we can make a substantial impact on the lives of those who need it most. In terms of promoting mental health awareness, I’ve found that creating safe spaces for open discussions, offering non-judgmental listening, and sharing educational resources can go a long way in breaking down barriers and reducing stigma. Absolutely, mental health first aid training has been incredibly valuable for me. I attended a fantastic session run by Workplace Interventions. It’s provided me with a structured framework and practical tools to approach mental health challenges with confidence and empathy. Through this training, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of how to recognise signs of distress, initiate conversations, and connect individuals with appropriate resources. This newfound knowledge has not only enhanced my professional capabilities but has also empowered me to make a positive impact on the well-being of those I work with.

[Tilly Rogers]

Hi everyone (my first post on MHFI)…… So, a bit of history, I discovered MHFI through my MHFA session last year, where I got to know about the fantastic work being done – and here I am. With my own lived experiences and academic background, the session led by Lauren at WPI was a perfect fit. It provided me with extra tools (particularly around conversations) to tackle complex mental health conversations, like the ones I have with my clients and their families which for example has been about psychosis and how to support their loved one, or suicide intervention as another example.

MHFA is a basic life skill I think and if you’re having mental health conversations, take the course. It’s not just empowering for you, but it equips you to better support others too.

Tilly ?

[Lauren (Walli) Gledhill]

Hey there Tilly!

I am so glad you took something from the training! One of the best things about teaching MHFA is reading posts like this and knowing that it is reaching the beautiful souls out there! Thank you for sharing the knowledge and perspective you took from the training!

[Tony Johnson]

Hello Tilly

I completely agree with you that MHFA is a fundamental life skill. The ability to have meaningful conversations about mental health and provide support to those who need it is invaluable. It’s inspiring to see how you have been able to apply the tools and knowledge gained from your session to your work with clients and their families. Your examples of conversations around psychosis and suicide intervention highlight the importance of having the right skills and understanding to navigate these complex topics. I’m always encouraging anyone who is involved in mental health conversations, whether personally or professionally, to consider taking the MHFA course.

Thanks for sharing your story and good to meet another fan ?

[Tilly Rogers]

Tilly ?

[Jacinta Longley]

hi everyone! Tony! I absolutely agree with you, in so many circumstances mental health goes unnoticed due to everyday circumstances and it always blows my mind that it is not taken into consideration more. I loved my MHFA training, it made scary topics a whole lot less scary and I found it a useful tool that informed many of the discussions I now have with colleagues and friends. I reckon everyone should do it!

[Lyric Blackwood]

Hey everyone

Thought I would jump in on here as well, I did my mental health first aid training at the start of the year, I also completed it with Workplace Interventions, and it changed my world in a good way. I am the only first aider in a small company of 20-30 give or take an apprentice here and there. I have found the change it made in my work life is incredible. Does anyone have any advice specifically on helping those with a significant cultural barrier? My role includes helping many people from multicultural backgrounds, language is not so much a barrier in my workplace but many of them are men from strong traditional cultural backgrounds. It is difficult to connect sometimes, I am open as anything and very patient with the challenges I just wish I could help them more.

Thanks in advance

[Lincoln Edwards]

Howdy, this is a great space definitely interested in talking about some of the challenges you might face and strategies used to overcome them. The people I work with are usually farmers or people in remote locations so this will be great for me to ask for and receive advice.

[Emily Rockett]

Ive been using this gratitude journal lately, especially after interventions. Maybe someone else will pick one up to (from Kmart)!

[Erin Williams]

That would make an interesting read! On a very serious and important note, what a great way to debrief after an intervention though. Fantastic! I was big on journaling when I did this wellbeing course, as there’s lots of evidence about its benefits. So fitting. Organisations should think of promoting this for their mental health first aiders.

[Jaie]

Debriefing after an intervention is so crucial. I love the idea of using a gratitude journal to reflect and process. Using a gratitude journal allows for a focus on celebrating successes and acknowledging strengths. Great tip! Thanks 🙂

[MHFI Admin]

How does your organisation support their leaders/mental health first aiders and alike regarding crisis interventions? What supports do you have in place in your place of work to keep you well?

[Malik Albright]

We provide regular training and resources to equip our people with the necessary tools and knowledge to handle crisis situations effectively. We have established a support network within the organisation where leaders and mental health first aiders can seek guidance and share experiences. We also prioritise self-care and encourage individuals to take time off and engage in activities that promote their well-being. By doing so we aim to create an environment where everyone feels supported and valued. Feedback from staff has been constructive and positive to date.

[Jade Thompson]

Great question! Our team needed to handle a self-harm incident in the last few days. I was very grateful to have approachable leaders who I respect and trust to turn to. They listened and supported me through the process of handling and reporting the incident. They also ensured I knew there was an EAP service available rather than assume I already knew.

We have daily briefing and debriefing with management that assist in helping to develop open communication and trust between staff and leaders. The debriefs are great to clear up misunderstandings and build peer rapport and support.

[Alyssa Davies]

Training, training, training! I am so lucky to work for an organisation that values training and sending staff for regular professional development.

We also have access to regular supervision and our EAP service for those in-between support sessions. We get 12 EAP sessions a year per issue, this is a great support – I love that I can have access to mental health support pretty much whenever I need it.

The best training I ever attended, apart from those who help me do my job better, was the supervision training. This training helped me to understand how to get the most out of my supervision! It was great.

Our organisation values self-care and all our leaders including the CEO has an open door policy. There is a hierarchy but we have access to our managers and leaders further up so we never feel alone and we never feel isolated.

[Penny Campbell]

In the hospitality industry, mental health is often a low priority. The stress we endure as chefs and kitchen staff can be huge. The last kitchen I worked in, I tried to get people to open up and talk about the stressors of each shift. We would get together before our shift, go through the checklist together, problem-solve together and then make a start for our shift. Everyone knew what was expected of them and what they had responsibility for. Delegation really helps with the stress in the kitchen, I also loved empowering the team to make decisions and trusted their decision making and we tweak where necessary.

My favorite part of each shift was our post-shift debrief. We would make time at the end of each shift to debrief, talk about any conflict and the difficult customers we had that shift, we also highlighted the positives of our shift and closed mostly together.

This opened up the space to talk about mental health challenges and whenever crisis came up, the team stuck together to get the person support. Whether we contacted Lifeline or Suicide Call Back Service, we made sure we supported everyone of the team.

[Deepika Vohra]

Debrief is really understated!