Mental health and safety ambassador (MHSA) certified training

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This session is for any employees within a business who want to step into the role and undertake the responsibilities of a mental health and safety ambassador. Unlike mental health first aid, this programme is appropriate to be delivered globally to participants from different countries and is purely workplace focussed. We provide your organisation with a recruitment guide if this is your first time developing a network of this kind.

Programme description:

This programme is workplace specific and certifies delegates as mental health and safety ambassadors. The course consists of three live sessions. In between sessions delegates are set an “application of learning task” to take back to the workplace to deepen practice and embed learning. These learning tasks include self-care reflection, getting mental health on the agenda at work and managing disclosure at work.

Session content:

Session 1 – Awareness and self-care

Mental health awareness and the business case
The Ambassador SPEAK© framework
The blind side of empathy and empathy fatigue
Self-care and my oxygen mask
Stigma action planning
Stress management in the workplace
Common mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD

Part 2 – Taking action

Covering the SPEAK© framework:
Safety & self-care (covering suicide first aid, risk assessing and when to break confidentiality
Prevent and promote (prevent stigma and promote positive mental health at work)
Empathise and listen (communication, active listening and managing difficult conversations)
Agree actions (supplying support, promoting self-care etc.)
Know when to signpost (including boundaries and responsibilities)

Part 3 – Deepening application

Mental health & performance management
Common case studies
Complex case studies
High risk flow chart
Keeping mental health on the agenda

Outcomes:

In depth understanding of mental health & wellbeing and how it links to the workplace
Increased awareness and confidence to challenge stigma appropriately and assess risk
Confidence to have a proactive conversation and know how and when to signpost

Duration:

12 hours (delivered in 9 hours of modules and 3 hours of integration work)
Between 12 and 16 delegates
Interactive delivery using polls, chat, breakout discussions

“It was useful reflecting on the right methods to use when confronting these issues. Often it’s too easy to end up ‘hi-jacking’ conversations and applying personal examples, which is often not the most helpful approach. Understanding about the classifications of mental illnesses outside of the more popular ones seen in the media (depression/anxiety), and also reflecting on how these are stigmatised against was helpful. Overall, I feel as though this has helped me understand my place as a mental health ally and ambassador, and given me confidence to know where my influence should start and end.”-

Huel