Spotlight on... Mental Health Awareness Week
This week we speak out about mental health awareness and the importance of your mental health and well-being at work.
Look for a Star is a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) initiative which allows staff to identify a Mental Health First Aider by a star badge.
1 in 4 of us will experience mental health problems this year and having a Mental Health First Aider close by can make all the difference. Anyone can suffer mental health issues and it's just as important to normalise them, speak up to trusted colleagues and seek help as it is for any physical health problems.
Our Mental Health First Aiders are qualified to spot the signs and symptoms, of mental ill health and provide help on a First Aid basis as an early intervention. They are taught a set of skills which enables them to support someone experiencing mental health issues.
We currently have more than 50 trained Mental Health First Aiders from a wide range of disciplines across the sites with another two cohorts of staff to be trained.
The role of an MHFA is to both promote mental health first aid, to help reduce the stigma around mental ill health, encouraging staff to start a conversation with a colleague/patient who may be experiencing a mental health issue to promote early intervention which enables recovery.
MHFA are there to support colleagues in moments of distress, to listen and communicate non-judgmentally.
We hope the ‘Look for a Star’ initiative will help to encourage a change of culture at work creating an environment where there is a culture of trust, honesty, openness, fairness, civility and respect within the workplace and where staff can bring their authentic self to work to be able to thrive.
Please remember - MHFA are not trained therapists and can only provide help to colleagues on a first aid basis and guide staff towards to appropriate on-going support.
Are you or a colleague suffering from a mental health problem? Don't suffer alone in silence. Speak up in confidence with the below resources:
- Look for a star programme - look out for the star badge to identify Mental Health First Aiders.
- Support at work information.
- Able Futures are another service open to you as a Barts Health employee - follow the link to find out more about how the service can help you.