When organisations launch mental health initiatives, many choose to train a team of Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs).
It’s a 2-day training course. In small, mid-size, and large organisations, getting a budget for this training and any promotional material isn’t difficult. Business leaders see this as a cost-effective way to say they’ve “done” mental health, that it’s been taken care of, and that employees now have the support they need.
Unfortunately, we know from experience as mental health and wellbeing leaders, with backgrounds in behavioural change, health and social care, and mental health, this simply isn’t true.
In this article, we explain why, and why one approach that makes more of an impact is to have Mental Health Advocates instead of MHFAs.
What Are Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs)?
Firstly, let’s refresh our knowledge on the role of Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs).
Mental health first aiders are meant to be a listening and signposting service. It’s a volunteer role. People are still doing full-time jobs, but they wear a lanyard to show that if anyone is struggling with their mental health, these are the people to talk to.
Similar to first aiders, everyone should know who they are so they can get help if they’ve injured themselves at work.
A first aider is the first contact-point for a physical injury. If all someone needs is a plaster, then a first aider can provide that help. However, if an injury is more serious, then a first aider or manager should ensure an employee gets immediate help from professionals, such as a doctor, nurse, or going to A&E.
Mental health first aid should work exactly the same way. Providing guidance and support to signpost employees to other internal services (e.g. employee assistance programmes (EAPs)), or professional external services:
- CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy);
- Occupational health;
- Talking therapies;
- Speak to your GP;
NHS 111, or the Crisis Team, 999 or A&E when urgent support is needed;
Mind and other mental health charities such as the Samaritans (116 123);
Community mental health support groups; - Financial charities, such as Step Change, when the matter is more financial than mental health-related.
What Are The Risks and Pitfalls Associated With Mental Health First Aid Programmes?
There are numerous risks and pitfalls associated with mental health first aiders. We cover this in more detail in our mental health report, and in other articles.
Here are just a few that you need to be aware of:
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A tragic suicide of an employee is the worst-case scenario for mental health first aiders (MHFAs) and organisations
10% of UK suicides — as many, if not more than 650 people — are because of work-related stress, according to HR News.
MHFA training is not enough to prevent, intervene, crisis manage, and engage in postvention in the workplace where suicide is a risk.People can die when things go wrong, where suicide prevention and interventions aren’t carried out swiftly, in the right way, and with the right safeguards in-place.
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No monitoring or support for mental health first aiders (MHFAs)
In most cases, the whole recruitment, onboarding, governance, and support processes and structures are missing.
People aren’t clear what their role is and what the boundaries are. Mental health first aid is meant to be a listening and signposting service, not a revolving door mental health support service. Without realising it, MHFAs can also often step outside of the boundaries of the role, putting themselves and their colleagues at risk.
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Employees not coming to MHFAs when they need help
It’s all very well training a team of volunteer MHFAs, but how do you encourage employees to use this service?
- Do employees know about it?
- Has any anti-stigma work been done?
- Do employees trust in those delivering the service enough to confide in them when they need support?
All of these questions are barriers that need to be overcome. In most cases, organisations don’t think about any of these, don’t overcome them, and so employees that need help fail to ask for it.
Find out more about the risks associated with MHFA programmes: Download our FREE Mental Health eBook, A Practical Guide to Creating a Mentally Healthy Workplace Culture.
Now let’s see how MHFAs compare to Mental Health Advocates.
What Are Mental Health Advocates?
Workplace mental health strategies can make a HUGE difference in dozens of ways.
Providing you implement and nurture them in the right way. Mental health is a smart, strategic business investment, and one, now more than ever, that every company and organisation should make.
Mental health advocates are also volunteers, but they go above and beyond the listening and signposting role that mental health first aiders (MHFSs) play.
One of the best ways to implement a mental health advocate programme is to train your team managers and business leaders to become advocates.
Mental health advocates focus on early intervention, prevention, and helping employees’ self-serve and support their own mental health before reaching a crisis point, whereas MHFA training focuses on reactive measures to employees already struggling with their mental health.
Why Training Mental Health Advocates is a Better Approach?
Investing in any mental health initiative needs more than a 2-day training course for a group of mental health first aiders.
An initiative such as this needs visibility, awareness, and a comprehensive infrastructure to support and keep people safe.
For many people, knowing they need support with their mental health is a difficult challenge to overcome. Reaching out is even more difficult. Trust needs to be built. Anti-stigma work is equally important, so that colleagues know they can reach out and get the support they need without it impacting their jobs or promotion prospects.
A mental health advocate (MHA) role focuses more on anti-stigma work, by sharing their own stories safely and appropriately, plan and run mental health campaigns to raise awareness, and monitor and review the impact of these campaigns.
People need specific and more in-depth training to act as mental health advocates in workplaces. It’s a volunteer role, the same as MHFAs, but with more training, a wider remit, and the ability to enact more impactful cultural change within an organisation.
As we’ve mentioned, before investing in any mental health initiatives, always start with the question: What problem are we trying to solve?
If you are going to invest in any type of peer to peer support you still need a safe recruitment process, governance and infrastructure for this service to be safeguarded, monitored, developed and reviewed to ensure continuous improvement and evidencing outcomes.
Do you want to reduce workplace stress and make your company a mentally healthy place to work for everyone?
Book your free mental health strategy consultation with Emily today.
Find out more: Download our FREE Mental Health eBook, A Practical Guide to Creating a Mentally Healthy Workplace Culture.
