WHO MAKES A GOOD MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AIDER? AND WHO SHOULD NOT VOLUNTEER?

Mental Health First Aiders aim to help reduce suicide and undetected mental health problems in the workforce. In theory, most people ought to be able to do this because the core skill is humanity, and most of us have some of that.

Clearly, however, some are more suited than others.?

So, if you’re considering establishing a Mental Health First Aid team (every organisation of any size should have one), or becoming a Mental Health First Aider, this would be my take.

1.?????? You need empathy, the ability to connect with people naturally, on an intuitive level, to understand deep emotions, and to feel comfortable discussing mental health concerns.

2.?????? You must be a good listener, able to get people talking because you’re listening when others aren’t.?? You’ll need to concentrate on what the client is saying – not passive silence, but hard listening, which enhances understanding and allows you to contribute meaningfully to a conversation.

3.?????? You’ll need cultural sensitivity. A workforce of any size will have people from multiple cultures. If you’re working through Cope, you’re unlikely to know the contact’s cultural, religious, racial or national background, and it’s important that none of these things adversely affect your conduct as a MHFA.? If you aren’t working anonymously, but perhaps face to face or over a phone, when you can detect gender, age, accents, background noises etc, the picture you build-up of the person shouldn’t influence the quality or calibre of the support you give.

4.?????? You must be non-judgemental, because people facing mental health issues are already vulnerable to stigma and discrimination, and no one opens up if they feel judged.

5.?????? You must have that hard-to-define, easy-to-recognise quality of approachability.? People need to be able to get on terms with you quickly, feel welcomed into a conversation, and detect no signs of hesitancy or reserve on your part.

6.?????? You’ll need the personal resilience to deal with the mental health of others without it affecting your own mental health.? If you may be overwhelmed by highly charged situations, personal crises, or emotional trauma, consider providing support in some other way.

7.?????? You must maintain absolute confidentiality (except in extreme circumstances, such as a person about to harm themselves or others).? People don’t seek help if their privacy is at risk.

8.?????? Adaptability, flexibility and tolerance should come naturally. People you support may be distanced from you by age, professional or social status, life experience, belief system, politics, sexual orientation, social values or any one of a thousand other issues.? People in distress may not have normal levels of reserve, diplomacy or tact, which may emphasise your differences. ?How would you feel supporting someone of your age, who lives an economically privileged life, on inherited money and a salary many times yours? ?Someone of a different religion?? Someone who enthusiastically supports a politician you detest? Someone who has disturbing thoughts?? Someone from a different part of society who doesn’t share the values, assumptions and moral code embedded in you and those close to you? These things can all enter into a dialogue with mentally distressed people, and if you get angry, you’re no help.? You must retain respect, sensitivity and thoughtfulness, even when all these things are tested, and you may have to be extremely broad-minded.?

9.?????? You must be a great communicator, with level tones of voice, clarity, calmness, and pragmatism. It’s important that this is not misunderstood.? A world-class vocabulary and command of the language is great, but many great communicators have neither, because communication is also made up of tone, attitude, expression, body language, patience, and nebulous things (like ‘presence’) which won’t be communicated via words. Some of these things come across even over the phone or in a text conversation (it’s why sales people are told to smile during phone conversations). If you’re a genuine empathiser, people will detect that. Mostly, great communicators are simply genuine people.

10.?? You must be a team player, helping clients to connect with services, charities, and support services.? Sometimes, you’ll just be a conduit to more qualified help, and the trick is to achieve that connection without the client being ‘lost’ in the transfer.? Mental Health First Aid is no place for rampant egos; it calls for humility and an up-to-date understanding of how others (with greater levels of skill, training and experience) can be enlisted to support clients when their needs are beyond your own ability to help.? You’re unpaid, but you must act like a professional and know your own limits. You may be the client’s first point of contact after deciding to reach out, which is critical; you may even save their life; but you won’t be the person who provides long-term professional counselling or other specialist clinical support, and who ultimately helps to make them well again. That’ll be done by qualified folks with letters after their names.

Mental Health First Aiders aren’t experts (just as St John Ambulance volunteers aren’t heart surgeons). You’re there to prevent a serious decline at a point of crisis, prevent suicide, and help people access qualified support.? The tools you’ll use are inherent personality skills and a few days of training.?

The time commitment may (on some teams) be small, and flexible.? If, at the time of ultimate crisis, you’re not able to help, that will be sad; but at least you tried, and at least that person spoke to a friendly, supportive voice.

But just imagine the feeling if you were really able to help someone.?

Someone you don’t know and may never meet or speak to again, but whose life you influenced positively at the most critical possible time.

It’s a heavy responsibility and not something to undertake lightly. But if you have natural empathy, generosity of spirit, and inner resilience, please consider doing so.

You might just save a life and prevent that person’s loved ones from experiencing a traumatic loss.

Imagine that.