Well done Leanne Davies and Suzanna Turton, who recently completed their Mental Health First Aid training with MHFA England. We asked Leanne to explain more about being a Mental Health First Aider, and why it is so important to her and to JTM Service.
What does it meant to be a Mental Health First Aider?
Myself and Suzanna are very proud to have completed the MHFA Qualification and are now trained to be able to listen to and support our staff with their Mental Health. Mental Health is very important and something which is not discussed or supported enough.
What was involved in the training?
We completed a 2 day intensive training course looking at what Mental Health is, what good mental health looks like and the signs to look out for in someone with poor mental health. We then looked at different Mental Health illnesses and learned how we can support people suffering with these illnesses. The training even involved learning about Suicide which was very tough.
Why has it helped you?
Personally, I have had my own Mental Health struggles so this has helped me have a better understanding of my symptoms and how important self-care is. This is something I haven’t done enough in the past but now is a big focus for me.
Why will it help the company and our people?
Having our staff know there are people at work they can talk to who are trained is a great benefit. All conversations will be held in confidence and we will listen, non-judgmentally, and offer support. At JTM Service we want a happy and healthy workforce and this is another way of us demonstrating that. We have a high percentage of male staff who generally don’t like to talk about their feelings, so we can use our training to support people and offer our assistance.
Did you receive a certificate?
Yes, we have been awarded a certificate in MHFA and have access to the MHFA Support App which has lots of helpful resource.
Certificate – Leanne
Certificate – Suzanna
Having Mental Health First Aiders at JTM Service is very important. As Leanne says, it is vital that mental health is talked about, and the training Suzanna and Leanne have received enables us listen and support our team even more. We are very proud of Leanne and Suzanna for completing this, well done!
