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Insight Canberra provides Mental Health First Aid training to government, organisations and businesses in the ACT and surrounding regions.

Organisations are required to have Physical First Aid Officers, but Physical First Aid Training only focuses on physical illness and doesn’t teach participants how to help someone experiencing a mental health problem.

Insight Canberra offer a range of training solutions, from introductory to fully accredited Mental Health First Aid Courses.

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What is a Mental Health First Aid Officer?

A Mental Health First Aid Officer is an Accredited Mental Health First Aider appointed in their workplace. Mental Health First Aid Officers can provide support and assistance to colleagues who might be displaying signs of developing a mental illness, or experiencing a mental health crisis. They are trained to be able to identify when further assistance is required and can assist in developing mental health policies and procedures within your organisation.

Mental Health First Aid Officers also assist in decreasing the stigma sometimes associated with mental illness simply by making themselves available to support their colleagues openly and non-judgementally. They can also help all employees gain a better understanding of mental health issues through open conversations.

Early intervention for people with mental health problems?

Early intervention is vital for people developing a mental illness, yet due to the nature of the illness, people often don’t have the insight into what they’re experiencing or what assistance is available, which can lead to a delay in seeking help.

So what can you do as an employer?

Develop and implement a Mental Health First Aid policy.
Encourage employees who have completed First Aid courses to do Accredited Mental Health First Aid training.
Support and promote these Mental Health First Aid Officers within the workplace.
Offer introductory Mental Health First Aid training to all staff. This can help remove the stigma around mental health.

“Caroline’s presentation of this course was extremely well done, she was able to present the material in a clear and concise manner. Caroline did a great job over the two days, I particularly enjoyed that she encouraged class participation and allowed time for questions and discussion when and where possible.”

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Why Mental Health First Aid Training.

Employee well-being is paramount is today’s workplace. Your staff need to know how to respond appropriately and effectively to people with mental health problems.

Mental illness is becoming increasingly common with 1 in 5 people experiencing a common mental illness in any given year. If you haven’t experienced a mental illness yourself, it is more than likely that you will have a colleague, employee, friend or family member who will develop a mental illness at some point in their lives.

Mental Health First Aid Training is for everyone. Just like physical First Aid training, it teaches people how to provide initial help until professional help is received, or until the mental health crisis resolves.

Mental Health First Aid training teaches participants how to recognise the signs of a developing mental illness, and to provide initial help to adults. It also teaches participants what to do if someone is experiencing a mental health crisis such as suicidal thoughts and behaviours, psychosis, panic attacks, traumatic events and severe psychotic states.

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The Benefits of Implementing a Mental Health First Aid Officer Program in the workplace.

A Mental Health First Aid Officer within a workplace is an employee who has undertaken additional training to provide first aid to employees who are experiencing a mental health problem. This role is similar to that of a Physical First Aid Officer within a workplace.

Mental Health First Aid Officers undertake a two-day training program to learn how to identify the signs and symptoms of a mental health problem, how to begin a conversation about mental health, and how to help the person seek appropriate professional help. Mental Health First Aid Officers are also trained to provide assistance to someone who might be experiencing a mental health crisis such as suicidal thoughts and behaviours, psychosis, or non-suicidal self-injury.

How can Mental Health First Aid training assist supervisors and managers?

Mental Health First Aid is the help given to someone who is experiencing a mental health problem or a mental health crisis. It is similar to physical first aid in that the help is given until professional help is received, or until the crisis resolves. It was developed using scientific evidence from all over the world and supports best practice for helping someone with a mental health problem.

Statistics show that 1 in 5 people will experience a mental illness in any given year, and anecdotal evidence suggests that this figure could be closer to 1 in 4 people.

What is hoarding and can Mental Health First Aid help?

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) describes hoarding as the ‘persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value. Unlike other mental illnesses, family and friends will be more likely to be able to identify if someone is a hoarder due to the state of their home. Hoarders feel unable to throw away possessions which others would not consider to have any value, such as newspapers, magazines, plastic bags, and other household items.