At least 2,500 people have been trained in Mental Health First Aid since the course started being offered by Richmond Foundation two years ago.
Now, the foundation, a leader among local NGOs in providing community services for persons with mental health difficulties, is preparing to launch a new series of courses in January open to the public. The course trains participants to recognise the signs of mental health problems in someone else and to offer initial help until professional care is available.
“The courses follow the first aid model, in that they teach people to help someone in a crisis until they can hand over to the professionals,” training manager Dragan Donkov said.
“The trainers are all Richmond Foundation employees and the idea is that you do not need to be a health professional to offer a first helping hand.”
The foundation also offers courses geared specifically towards the workplace. Some 1,800 employees have received the training so far thanks to 140 courses held with participants from nearly 100 private and public organisations.
Participants have included banks, gaming companies, the hospitality industry, the University of Malta and insurance companies, among others.
“We deliver these courses at the workplace itself and the sessions are targeted to the context of a working environment. Some companies choose to offer the training to specific sectors of the company, such as management, Human Resources or union representatives,” Mr Donkov said.
Problems range from those requiring urgent intervention to those where a friendly and patient ear will suffice
However, other companies have opted to offer it to all employees.
“In reality, it is of help to anyone who deals with people. We have received very good feedback from organisations that took part, and many have found it to be particularly useful when pinpointing the causes behind a sudden lack of performance, for instance,” he explained.
His words are echoed by Norman Mifsud, Chief Officer HR & Corporate Service at Mapfre MSV Life. The company was one of the first to be certified as a Certified Mental Health First Aid Skilled Workplace.
Mr Mifsud, who took the training, first enrolled all company employees with the Richmond Foundation, which enables them to seek counselling anonymously should they feel the need, with the company picking up the tab.
He quickly dispels any concerns about potential repercussions at the workplace should an employer become aware that an employee has mental health issues: the process is completely confidential.
“The invoices the company receives never include details, they only refer to the number of employees treated. It is a system built on trust that is working out very well, and we have indeed had employees make use of it,” says Mr Mifsud.
Given the encouraging feedback, he then extended the company’s collaboration with Richmond to include attendance at the courses.
“The course gave us awareness about certain behavioural patterns that we encounter at work. It enables early detection. We are not doctors, of course, so it’s a case of knowing which issues are prevalent and of having the know-how about how to best be close to the persons, available and approachable,” Mr Mifsud said.
The idea, he continues, is to be able to figure out when employees should seek professional help and to encourage them to seek it.
“The courses foster the creation of a workplace environment that is friendly towards an employee’s well-being. Problems range from those requiring urgent intervention to those where a friendly and patient ear will suffice,” he continued.
He adds that, thanks to the training, he is now aware when it is appropriate to ask a professional to intervene, even if the employee has not indicated a wish to do so.
“Typically, it is up to the employee to decide whether they will follow your advice to seek professional help or not. But, as I am now aware, there are exceptions – such as cases of suicidal thoughts – when it is acceptable to take unilateral action.”