The Importance of Workplace Wellness
I’m so proud to say I’m a Mental Health First Aid trainer (MHFA)
My motivation to do this has always been to empower others allowing them to feel confident when talking about mental health and illness without fear.
To feel they can play a vital part in that persons need for support, thus offering the first line of knowledge and listening skills required.
Also for everyone to know if they feel they need help in some way they have people trained to spot the signs and how to react without judgement.
Being able to spend two days with a group of people all eager to make a change against stigma and all driven by the same goal is a privilege. The feedback has also been fantastic.
To work in an organisation that takes the physical and psychological safety as important as each other and not just a standalone that has happened for many years is quite unique.
There are three organisations I find incredibly inspiring and hope all workplaces attain the same standards over time.
There will no doubt be many more than this, these are just the three I have found fascinating.
Let’s hope all workplaces one day will follow the example of the ones below that are making real changes for us all…
Hugs x
UK based - Richard Stephenson OBE and Ben Alcott - Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) based at Gatwick - They have 50 trained MHFA members of staff onsite. This is an incredible amount, they all have their lanyards which are green, and talk very openly about mental health maintenance. They also invite speakers in once a month during a lunchtime, so they can live stream from desks or if onsite lunch is provided and they can come along. This is all driven by passionate people throughout the whole organisation, all the way to the very top.
USA based – Bob Chapman- Barry Wehmiller – This incredible film is run by Bob Chapman. His back story is truly inspiring and his passion has been driven by having happy employees. He has subsequently written many books, spoken at TedTalks and opened the Truly Human Leadership University to empower others from across the world. Truly Human Leadership has created a new paradigm for success. I’ve watched so many of his videos and listen to the numerous Podcasts. If he was based in the UK I would be banging on his door to work with him and his team.
Global – Craig Kramer - Johnson & Johnson. On January 15, 2016, Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Neuroscience hosted the first-ever leadership summit on eating disorders, a meeting of diverse leaders from the U.S. eating disorder community with the goal of finding ways to unite forces in order to better serve patients and their families. This is all driven by his own experiences with his beautiful daughter Katharine’s battle with anorexia. Craig is a Mental Health Ambassador and Chair, Global Campaign on Mental Health. Tirelessly doing all he can to help raise awareness and end stigma. I’m so honoured he took the time out of his very busy schedule to read ‘Seconds To Snap’. My goal is to collaborate in some way, pulling together all of our experiences and knowledge for the greater good.
