As seen in the workplace mental health supplement in the May 2007 issue of Alberta Venture
A New Kind of First Aid
From ergonomically correct office chairs to protective safety goggles, physical safety in the workplace has become a primary concern across all industries and occupations. If an accident does occur, many organizations have first aid attendants who can help until the paramedics arrive. And now they can train someone as a first responder for mental health problems.
Employer and members of the community are taking note of the impact mental health problems have on society and are doing something about it. Human resource officers, teachers, front-line mental health professionals, the general public and people from many other disciplines are training in Mental health First Aid (MHFA) Canada, a program spearheaded by the Alberta Mental Health Board (AMHB).
MHFA Canada, an evidence-based training program designed, just like traditional first aid, to enable people to recognize symptoms and provide support until professional help can step in. It is an educational course for any person from any background. No experience in mental health is necessary.
The goal of the course is threefold. The first goal is to educate participants and help them identify signs of mental health problems in themselves, co-workers, friends, family, and even strangers. Secondly, the program teaches participants how to support the individual and to help seek appropriate treatment for them. The third goal of the program is to reduce the stigma of mental illness. More than half of people with mental health problems won't seek treatment.
The MHFA Canada curriculum covers many topics, including substance use disorders, depression, anxiety disorders and psychosis. The course also covers crisis first aid, which includes suicidal behaviour, overdoses, panic attacks and more.
Sergeant Bob Pagee, the supervisor of the Edmonton Police Service Police and Crisis Team (PACT), is an MHFA Canada instructor. Pagee feels that the program would benefit any workplace. "When First Aid came into existence, the concept of teaching the aveage citizen to apply pressure to a wound saved people's lives. MHFA will do something similar, by assisting people in making the right kind of decisions."