Create a Mentally Healthy Workplace

Every year 1 in 5 Australians will experience a common mental illness. That means that every day, millions of Australians go to work while experiencing a mental health problem.

The impact of this is enormous, affecting workplace productivity, performance, and employee well-being.  

Given that the average Australian worker will spend close to 1/3rd of their lives at work, the workplace is an ideal place for early intervention for mental illness.

The cost of mental health problems in Australia

$4.7B

$4.7 billion in absenteeism

$6.1B

$6.1 billion in presenteeism

$146M

$146M in annual compensation costs

More workplaces are realising the importance of managing mental health at work and recognising the benefits of creating mentally healthy workplaces.

What is a Mentally
Healthy Workplace?

A mentally healthy workplace is one that understands that work can play a large role in an individual’s mental health and that mental health problems can have a huge impact on an individual.

Mentally healthy workplaces promote education and adopt policies and practices that create a culture of care where employees are encouraged to talk openly about mental health.

Mental Health First Aid® (MHFA™) training has been identified as one of the key strategies to lessen the impact of mental health problems on productivity and many workplaces use MHFA training as the foundation for their mental health strategy.

“The MHFA program sits beautifully within any organisation that values employee wellbeing, innovation and resilience. Participants are given a toolbox of new skills they can use to help themselves, their colleagues, their family, their friends and the community at large.”

Pharmacist, Capital Chemist Group

What is Mental Health First Aid?

Mental health first aid is the initial help offered to someone who is experiencing a mental health problem, or a mental health crisis, until appropriate professional help is received or the crisis resolves. Having the knowledge and the practical skills to proactively initiate a supportive conversation with someone you are concerned about can make all the difference.

Mental Health First Aid offers early-intervention education courses for adults in the workplace that increase mental health literacy and teach the practical skills needed to support a co-worker experiencing a mental health problem.

The 12-hour MHFA training course can be delivered in 1 of 3 ways:

Face-to-Face

A 2-day course led by a Licensed MHFA Instructor

Blended Face-to-Face

Self-paced eLearning component (typically 5-7 hours) followed by a 4-hour face-to-face session led by a Licensed MHFA Instructor

Blended Online

Self-paced eLearning component (typically 5-7 hours) followed by 2 x 2.5-hour video conferencing sessions led by a Licensed MHFA Instructor 

Subscribe to our news and updates and receive our step-by-step guide to building the case for MHFA training in your workplace

MHFA Training Leads to Improved:

“Incredibly valuable, relevant and worthwhile course to do. It has raised awareness and confidence in the staff to be able to have the right conversations at the right time.”

Western Australian Symphony Orchestra

“John Holland’s experience with MHFA has been really positive. It has been a great tool in promoting mental health in our workplace and encouraging our people to look out for one another, both in the workplace and out in the community.”

John Holland

“When you have enough people in a team trained in Mental Health First Aid, you start to reduce the barriers to having conversations about mental health.”

 

University of Western Australia

The Mental Health First Aid Difference

MHFA training is a cost-effective, early intervention program that supports and mobilises whole communities to take a proactive approach to mental health education and training.

You’ll Be in Good Company

Take a look at our current MHFA in Action Case Studies to learn more about the innovative ideas and ways that workplaces are using MHFA training to create a culture of care and support, where everyone is encouraged to talk more openly about mental health.

Workplace Recognition Program

Below are just some of the workplaces who have demonstrated their commitment to building a mentally healthy workplace by implementing MHFA training.

“The Mental Health First Aid program is invaluable for HR professionals and provides knowledge and practical skills to support managers and employees”

Melissa Logan
Coca-Cola Amatil, HR Business Partner, Sydney

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