Mental health training for your staff

Mental Health training for your staff

In recent weeks there have been some alarming reports regarding the mental health crisis in New Zealand. Anyone can experience poor mental health – it is estimated to impact more than 50% of all New Zealanders at some stage in their lives.

One of the most profound experiences we can have in our lives is the connection we have with others. For many, these connections are found and fostered in the workplace. In today’s digital age, many of our staff rely on the workplace for this connection, and it is this environment that provides human-to-human contact – more than any other.

It is important to remember that an individual’s mental health is not fixed throughout their lives and can be influenced by many factors. Even if an individual is experiencing symptoms of mental distress or has a diagnosed mental illness, with the right help and support they can still flourish.

While it can be challenging for managers to support employees through difficult times, there is a legal responsibility to manage risks to mental wellbeing and mental health, just like any other health and safety risk.

In the last twelve months we have seen a significant increase in the request for mental health training from the organisations we partner with. We have seen this across a number of sectors, including local government, forestry and construction, education and hospitality.

It has been encouraging to see so many workplaces embrace training for their staff, equipping them with the confidence and skills to be able to recognise when someone is struggling and know how to respond.

This goes a long way to helping reduce the stigma around poor mental health in and out of the workplace, and helps create an environment where it is OK to need help and OK to ask for it.

If you would like an obligation-free consultation to help determine what training would best suit the needs of your staff and workplace, please get in touch with our team or check out our workplace mental health training options here. Your staff are your most important asset.

Note: This is in response to the following article: https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/07/employers-in-construction-industry-need-to-play-part-dealing-with-suicide-issues-trade-company-head.html