Did you know that one in five Australians will experience a mental health problem in any given year?
Until participating in Mental Health First Aid facilitated by Luminate Leadership, I couldn't have imagined the rate was so high.
But now, having completed the course, it has taught me that having basic skills in managing a mental health crisis situation, or arming someone with accurate information on how to seek professional help really could save someone's life. They're skills we hope we don't have to use but have at the ready should we need them at work or in life.
After the Head of People & Human Resources at Place, Amy Wolter and I completed our certification, my three key takeaways for organisations to understand regarding Mental Health awareness are:
- Mental health first aiders are not dissimilar to first aiders for physical ailments. They're there for times of crisis and to support someone until they're able to access professional help.
- Completing a mental health first aid course not only helps provide tools for crisis situations but also helps participants to remove biases in themselves and provides information about common mental illnesses.
- Mental health first aiders shouldn't just be your HR team. They're a great place to start but the more mental health first aiders in a business the better and the skills gained can help both at work and in your personal life.
Does your employer have mental health first aid qualified people? Would you undertake a course to be able to help family, friends and colleagues in their time of need?
Be a part of a company that encourages mental health awareness in the workplace and beyond. Contact the Place Career and Development team today.