first aid responders in the workplace: first aid response for psychological health

In-House Training Courses > First Responders in the Workplace: First Aid Response for Psychological Health

A 1-day learning opportunity is aimed at anyone involved in providing psychological first aid response.  The course content encourages mental health literacy which builds confidence to provide support, developing awareness across the psychological spectrum from resilience, mental well-being, crisis and confidence and alertness to be there for others.

Course Context

An independent review, published in October 2017, looked into the impact of poor mental health in the workplace. ‘Thriving at Work: a review of mental health and employers’ by Lord Dennis Stevenson and Paul Farmer, concluded that poor mental health costs employers between £33 and £42 billion a year, with an annual cost to the UK economy of between £74 billion and £99 billion.

Employers, and in particular managers, play a key role in supporting the physical as well as the mental wellbeing of their team members.  A healthy manager’s approach can create a supportive, non-judgmental ethos within the team, allowing team members to flourish.

There are operational, legal, financial and moral reasons to make mental wellbeing a priority in the workplace; managers who are well informed in this area will be much more effective in giving it precedence.

Currently the biggest single reason why people leave the workplace is issues relating to mental ill-health. Absenteeism is incredibly costly and disruptive to all organisations.  Presenteeism (coming to work when ill) has been estimated to be twice as costly as absenteeism; this hidden cost has massive impacts on performance and health & safety.

The World Federation for Mental Health confirmed in their brief for 2016 World Mental Health Day that,  "Psychological First Aid should be available to everyone"

Format of the 1-day First Responders in the Workplace course

The day includes a mix of presentations, group discussions and workshop activities.  The trainer provides a safe learning environment where participants are supported throughout the course.

Training is delivered in a relaxed, flexible way.  A safe and supportive learning environment is created to allow productive discussion of a sensitive topic.  The challenges those with a mental health condition regularly face in the workplace will be highlighted through discussions and exercises.  Practical exercises will be used to demonstrate the link between mental wellbeing and mental ill-health and harness the experience of the delegates.

  • Duration: 1-day course
  • Capacity: 12 recommended for optimum results
  • Availability: All of our in-house courses are delivered by our UK wide network of trainers
  • Customisation: The content can be tailored to meet an organisation’s individual requirements

Who Is It For?

The First Responders In the Workplace course is for everyone in the workplace who would like to be more alert to the mental health and wellbeing of others.

The course is particularly useful for organisations ready to offer another level of psychological support in the workplace and create an informed group of employees who can drive this agenda.

Key Benefits

  • Raises awareness and mental health literacy
  • Reduces stigma around mental ill-health
  • Boosts knowledge and confidence in dealing with mental health issues
  • Promotes early intervention which enables recovery
  • Galvanises a group of individuals within an organisation to respond to psychological health in their workplace context

Course Content

Delegates will be given a comprehensive overview of mental wellbeing and possible mental ill-health.  Managers will be given the knowledge and confidence to explore individual indicators with staff and appreciate the impact of prolonged stress.  They will go on to create a supportive individual action plan to promote wellness and recovery in the workplace.

The course covers:

  • What is mental wellbeing and mental ill-health
  • The mental wellbeing & resilience continuum
  • Depression and anxiety
  • Suicide
  • Self-harm and eating disorders
  • Psychosis
  • The safe ALERT approach for First Responders in the workplace

The objectives of the course are:

  • To raise awareness of mental wellbeing and possible emerging mental ill-health conditions
  • To help managers or team leaders become more confident in communicating with their team members and learn about early intervention to eliminate the risk of long-term mental health conditions
  • To increase manager confidence to talk about mental wellbeing in a timely way and explore possible diagnosed conditions to find workable person-centred support if required
  • To coach/inform & support workplace teams to incorporate the needs of colleagues working towards recovery and growth.

University Campus Version

We can also deliver a bespoke University Campus version of The First Responders In the Workplace course.  Please contact us for more details.

Related Training Courses

Mental Health Awareness: Training for all Employees

As basic training for all in mental health awareness is considered good practice, this course is suitable for anyone working in a team environment. Focusing on the most common mental health problems, the training includes recognising signs and symptoms and advice on practical strategies to support others.

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Mental Health Awareness Training for Managers

As managers play a key role in supporting their team members’ physical and mental health, this 1-day course endorses the importance of workplace mental health and equips managers with the basic knowledge essential to supporting a mental health diagnosis.

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Workplace MHFA 2-day Course

Enlightened employers are now highlighting first aiders for both physical and mental health in the same way. This course is designed to teach participants how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental ill health together with a set of skills which enables them to support someone experiencing mental health issues.

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Find out more

 

Please get in touch with us if you have any questions.  We are always happy to talk about our courses and help you to work out the best match for your requirements.

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY

"The quality of the training has been fantastic and our employees are really engaging with the trainer and getting something out of it. Also In Equilibrium makes the whole process very easy to arrange."

— Employee Engagement & Wellbeing Officer, Sophie Holland
AGE UK
 
 

"We wanted to provide a course that taught useful and practical coping strategies that our members could put into place straight away. In Equilibrium’s experience showed us that they could provide this, and they tailored the course perfectly."

— The Association of Electoral Administrators
 
 
 
 

"In-Equilibrium recently presented Mental Health Awareness to Managers in all of our area offices. The training was really well received and all of the trainers were praised for their in-depth knowledge and understanding."

 

— Roger Bullivant Limited
 

"The training was very well received by staff who now all intend to implement the session’s practical tips and techniques into their existing roles. A large proportion of the staff rated the facilitator and their delivery as excellent and their only recommendation was for a further and longer session!"

— Leeds City College
 

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