What does a mental health first aider do?

What is mental health first aid?

Mental health first aid is support that you can give to those experiencing difficulties with their mental health. Ill mental health, for example, depression, workplace stress and anxiety, can strike at any time and can impact anyone. This is why it’s important to have trained professionals in your workplace who spot the signs and can respond in the right way to a range of mental health situations.

Our mental health first aider course gives your team the skills and knowledge to support each other with mental health and wellbeing.

What’s the role of a mental health first aider in the workplace?

A mental health first aider is a trained person who can spot signs, behaviours and triggers of ill mental health within the workplace. They offer non-judgmental listening and know how to help a person in distress so that they can respond effectively and in the best way possible - even during a crisis.

We believe that having the right strategies to support employee mental health within the workplace is an absolute must. That’s why we’re dedicated to growing a community of trained people all over the country who have the confidence to help those struggling and to spread awareness about mental health.

Why are mental health first aiders important and why do we need them?

These days, we’re more aware than ever of how quickly circumstances can change. This is especially true of our mental health. Training yourself and your team is important to better equip everyone for the challenges that they may face in the workplace, whether they’re based at home, in the office or hybrid.

As a society, we’re beginning to understand the importance of looking after our mental health. Having mental health first aiders in your workplace will help empower your team and could even help save lives. Whilst mental health first aiders are not qualified therapists, they can be key in helping everyone to look out for one another, and they contribute to creating a workforce that takes a proactive approach to mental health.

By helping to build a happier workforce, you are also more likely to see an increase in productivity and a reduction in staff sickness. This is because prioritising people’s mental well-being makes them feel respected and valued. It also means that people are more likely to talk about their concerns and take positive steps before their mental ill-health leads to absence.

Having the right sort of mental health training in place can also earn your business a great reputation which often attracts and retains talent. In fact, employees are much more likely to consider a company's culture, values and beliefs before applying for a role and an organisation's approach to wellbeing forms a significant part of this!

A flexible approach to mental health first aid training

Of course, our puppies (and our puppy therapy sessions) are a big part of what we do, but did you know that we also offer other mental health training sessions - including MHFA England accredited courses? From mental health talks on a range of subjects to manager training designed to empower your leaders, we can provide the right level of mental health training to suit your business.

Our mental health first aider course can be delivered face-to-face or online, so you can choose a format to best suit your needs. It includes an engaging mix of presentations, workshops and group activities. Getting your team well-trained really couldn’t be easier.

If you are interested in having qualified mental health first aiders in your team, why not get in touch for a chat or book a course today.