As restriction ease and the UK begins the process of returning to the work place we need to be aware of how the Pandemic has affected us all and, in particular how it has impacted our mental health.
We need to be mindful that everyone will have had a different experience and right now there is a high degree of anxiety out there. Many people who have had to isolate for most of the past year because they are in the ‘clinically vulnerable’ category may be concerned that now, as the restriction ease, they may become ill. They are unable to influence the people around them, especially in the workplace and many are both anxious and angry about this.
Throughout the past year Mental Health First Aiders have delivered support remotely and this has many challenges both personally and professionally. How have you managed, what has worked best for you and have you been prepared to be “visible” and contactable by staff who have needed to talk?
As restriction ease how can we help our colleagues with their return to the work place?
Legislation for Mental Health First Aid provision in the workplace is not yet in place. The Health and Safety Executive says: “You should consider ways to manage mental ill health in your workplace which are appropriate for your business, such as providing information or training for managers and employees, employing occupational health professionals, appointing mental health trained first aiders and implementing employee support programmes”
Within the workplace, the relationship between managers and their team members is key for the health and wellbeing of the whole organisation. By empowering managers in your organisation to build supported, motivated and committed teams, you can help create a healthy workplace for all.
In terms of the organisations who have Mental Health First Aiders in place, it is hoped together with the managers you can build a mentally healthy workplace. This requires time and commitment for those trained to help to talk openly about mental health and by doing this, help to reduce the stigma mental health still has.
For MHFA’s, Mental Health Champions, and Managers the aim would be to
- Protect employee mental health through prevention and early intervention
- Embed culture change across the whole organisation
- Develop your managers’ skills and knowledge to have effective mental health conversations with their teams
- Build employees’ confidence to have open conversations around mental health and break the stigma
- Encourage people to access support early when needed, for a faster recovery
- Empower people with a long term mental health issue or disability to thrive in work
- Promote a mentally healthy environment, allowing people to thrive and become more productive
In order to do this, organisations needs to look at their mental health strategies and work collaboratively with the MHFA’s, HR department, Mental Health Allies and the Employee Assistance Programme (Care first).
Care first supports the MHFA’s from your customer organisation by making available, the use of the help line to offer immediate support should you have a difficult conversation with someone which has impacted you. A call to Care first is not supervision. It is a one off support call to help you within your role as an MHFA.
Remember the first stage of the ALGEE model is to approach, assess and assist (with mental health crisis). You are not there to take on “clients” but to provide support to the individual until professional help is available. It should be a one off, so do remember the boundaries are there to protect the individual, the organisation and the MHFA, so ensure to follow the model without deviating from it.
Together, the aim is to promote a mentally healthy organisation
Remember that you need to keep yourself mentally healthy and to obtain support if you are struggling. Remember too that at the time, the concern is for the safety of the individual and not the Mental Health First Aider which is why the model and the support is there for you.
How can Care first help?
If you feel you may need some emotional or practical support, you can contact Care first on the Freephone number. Care first is a leading provider of confidential, professional counselling, information and advice services. Whilst our BACP accredited Counsellors are available 24/7 to provide support with emotional issues, our expertly trained Information Specialists are available 8am-8pm Monday-Friday to provide advice on any practical issues that may be causing you a stress or worry and help you feel more in control of a situation.
All employees are eligible to use Care first, our services include; telephone counselling, information services and online support. Call Care first on the Freephone number provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence.
If you would like to view the Webinar on Information for MHFA’s, Mental Health Champions & Managers supporting teams as restrictions ease this is being delivered live on Friday 6th August at 12pm, please use the below link to register for this session –
https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8210604596410502672
If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording of the session can be accessed using the same link above after the webinar has taken place.