Highlights – The Exchange

‘The Exchange’ celebrated its first online meeting yesterday. Co-host’s Amanda Anderson and Mike Lawrence (Mental Health Consultant) we were joined by 12 individuals coming together to provide a supportive and collaborative environment. It’s a community focused on providing support for workplace Mental Health First Aiders Network, also suitable for Mental Health Champions, Wellbeing Champions and leaders of wellbeing at work. After introductions, ‘The Exchange’ focused on exploring a wide variety of issues that are impacting the workplace and some of the strategies that are currently being implemented across a range of organisations. There was a great mixture of experiences, from individuals taking their first steps towards being Mental Health First Aiders, to individuals from organisations who where 7-8 years into their workplace wellbeing strategy. We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who attended and a particular thank you for your openness and willingness to share.

Don’t worry if you missed out, as here are the key takeaways:

1. Mental Health First Aid Training

Individuals shared their experiences with Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training and the importance of having trained individuals in the workplace to support mental health. The conversation highlighted the availability of refresher courses and the launch of the Association of Mental Health First Aiders, aimed at providing a supportive network.

2. Promoting Mental Health Resources

Strategies for promoting mental health resources were discussed, including the use of posters in communal areas like toilets and branded cups in staff rooms. The importance of visible and accessible resources was emphasised to ensure employees are aware of available support.

3. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)

There was discussion about the effectiveness and promotion of EAPs, including the benefit of extending support services to nine months to allow more time for building rapport and providing consistent support.

4. Use of Technology

An organisation shared how they use their Intranet, to provide a help button, which instantly alerts all of their MHFA’s of an identified need, this allowing them to identify the most appropriate MFHA to respond to the situation. They also shared how they use their Intranet to collect and report anonymised data so that they can monitor trends and patterns within the workplace. This allowing them to provide preventive support. The use of apps like “Hub of Hope” and “Shout” for mental health support was also highlighted. Did you know, if you use the MHFA app to report to ‘Shout‘, the response it faster?

5. Building Resilience

A member shared their current focus/issue – How do we build resilience among employees and ensure they have ownership of their wellbeing? Suggestions include wellness action plans and integrating resilience-building activities into workplace programmes. This conversation could have been a solo meeting and we are sure that it will come up again in our next meeting!

Overall, the session was an opportunity for workplace Mental Health First Aiders and individuals in associated roles to exchange ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in promoting mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. Whether you are at the start of the journey, or been implementing a organisational wellbeing strategy for a number of year, this is a network you can’t afford to not be a part of!

We hope you can join us for our next meeting on Thursday 19th September 16:00 – 17:00.

SAVE THE DATES!

• Thursday 19th September 16:00 – 17:00 Register
• Thursday 31st October 16:00 – 17:00 Register
• Thursday 12th December 16:00 – 17:00 Register

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