Latest news with #MentalHealthFirstAid
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Software firm near York wins on wellbeing for third year running
Phoenix Software has once again earned a spot on the UK's Best Workplaces for Wellbeing™ list – for a third year running! The company, based at Barmby Moor, Pocklington, says people are at the heart of everything it does, and that means making wellbeing a priority. Whether it's through flexible working, mental health support, wellbeing champions, or access to a wide range of resources, Phoenix says it continues to invest in ways to help staff feel psychologically safe, supported, and empowered. According to the most recent staff survey, 90% of employees agree their line manager has an interest in their wellbeing; 86% agree that Phoenix is a psychologically and emotionally healthy place to work, and 95% agree that they are able to take time off work if needed. RECOMMENDED READING: Phoenix Software of Pocklington recruits for sales academy Pocklington-based Phoenix Software's 'Race for a Reason' Phoenix Software of York wins in Barracuda Partner Awards Phoenix says it continues to listen to feedback, evolve wellbeing initiatives, and ensure everyone has a voice when it comes to what support they need. Wellbeing-focused initiatives include - *Wellbeing hour: Every employee can take a paid hour off work once a month to focus on their mental health. *Mental health first aid: Phoenix has ten trained mental health first aiders in the company who can offer support to those who need it * Menopause awareness: Phoenix has done research and had several internal conversations about menopause to find out how it can better support its employees with menopause symptoms. *EAP: The Employee Assistance Programme provides mental health support to all employees anytime, to make sure everyone gets the help they need. Furthermore, a Mental health employee resource group offers a dedicated internal network that provides support, organises events, and raises awareness around mental health struggles. Phoenix managing director Clare Metcalfe said: 'For us, it's all about people. We're a team that genuinely looks out for one another, not just in the day-to-day, but throughout every step of each person's journey here. "Kindness and respect aren't just words on a wall, they shape how we work and how we treat each other. When our team feels fulfilled and supported, everything else, from personal growth to company success, naturally follows.'
The Sun
28-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
What you should say when your child is struggling – and 4 things you must NEVER utter, from mental health gurus
The way you speak to children can either push them away or build their trust. Here's what not to say. . . Parenting isn't just what we do, it's what we say, too. 8 Finding the right words when emotions are running high can feel like walking a tightrope, says Jessica Agudelo from Mental Health First Aid England. 'The language we use as parents plays a crucial role in shaping how we are perceived by our children.' We all want our children to feel safe, supported and understood. But these days, three-quarters of parents are worried about their kids' mental health, according to a recent report by Bright Horizons. And they have every reason to, with one in 10 kids aged 5-16 years old having a clinically diagnosable mental health illness.* It's a growing problem – hospital admissions for mental health problems in under-18s in England have risen by 65% in the past decade.** And while the pandemic has had a profound impact, experts say it's not the sole factor. Without you realising it, your words could unintentionally hurt your child, rather than lift them up, which can influence whether they seek support from you or others. 'The words we choose in everyday interactions can either support and empower, or come across as judgmental and dismissive,' says Jessica. 'Supportive and constructive language helps develop trust and open communication, creating a safe space for children to express themselves, especially when they are having a hard time.' There is no handbook on how we should parent, so how do we know the right things to say, especially if we didn't receive this from our own parents when growing up? We asked four children's mental health experts, who are parents themselves, to share the words they try to use, along with one thing they make sure they never to say to their kids. Kourtney Kardashian slammed as 'insane' for controversial parenting move & even sister Khloe thinks it's 'crazy' WHAT TO SAY. . . 'I'm listening' 8 Lisa says: 'When kids are distressed, they don't always know why. When I say: 'I'm listening', I'm letting them know we have time to talk and work out what's going on. "You don't have to agree with everything they're telling you. Often just feeling heard and listened to really grounds them and helps them regulate their emotions again. "Kids can balance themselves quickly once they get things out of their system.' 'I'm here with you' 8 Jessica says: 'Simply offering silence and a safe, comforting space for your child to process their feelings is often all they need. "When my daughter was upset recently, I let her scream because that's what she needed. By acknowledging her pain without rushing to fix it, I was showing her that it was OK to feel whatever she was feeling. "This allowed her to experience her emotions authentically, which is crucial for emotional growth.' 'You should be proud of yourself' Paul says: 'Instead of saying: 'I am proud of you', I try to say: 'Well done, you should be proud of yourself'. "I've worked with young people with incredibly low self-esteem and low self-worth. "By saying: 'I am proud of you', we can unintentionally give the message that success is based on how they make other people feel. " Telling a child: 'You should be proud of yourself', is far more impactful for building their self-image. "I always try to say this to my six-year-old son. The radiant smile on his face when he replies: 'I am, Daddy', shows me he knows he can do things that bring pleasure to himself, without seeking approval from me.' 'Nothing you say could make me stop loving you' 8 Lynn says: 'I always make sure I acknowledge if a conversation is likely to be hard for them. "Make it clear that you are proud of the strength they are demonstrating in telling you about their problems. "As a parent or carer, your child might also be reassured if you tell them there's nothing they could say that will make you stop loving them, and reassure them that they don't have to put on a brave face.' WHAT NOT TO SAY. . . 'I'll just leave and you can be by yourself then' Lisa says: 'It's easy to say this when your child is angry and shouting: 'I hate you!' "But deep down, they don't really want you to leave. Removing yourself also the chance to have a conversation with them and sends the message that if they are cross with you, you'll leave them alone. " This doesn't mean parents can't think about their own needs, too. You could say: 'You sound really cross right now, shall we talk about it?' "If they keep shouting, say: 'I know you're cross right now, but I don't like being shouted at, so if you keep shouting at me, I'll need to go into another room for a bit.' It's OK to let them know you have feelings, too.' 'Are you OK?' 8 Jessica says: 'It's instinctive to ask: 'Are you OK?' when we sense something might be off. "But this often doesn't get to the heart of what's going on – it's too easy for kids to brush it off and say: 'I'm fine'. "Instead, try saying: 'Tell me about your day. What was good about it and what wasn't?' Or: 'I've noticed you seem a bit down today, can we talk about it?' "These open-ended questions invite a child to share more freely. When they feel heard, they're more likely to open up.' 'Don't cry' 8 Paul says: 'Instead, I try to say: 'I can see you are upset, it's OK to cry'. It's important not to make light of or brush aside how a child is feeling. "This is important for all children, but for far too long we've told boys that crying is weak. Telling a child to suppress emotions is damaging to their development and wellbeing. "If we suppress feelings of sadness, it can lead to long-term mental health issues, like anxiety and depression.' 'Why can't you just be happy?' 8 Lynn says: 'I avoid phrases that create a barrier like this, or: 'Why do you always have to be like this?' and: 'What do you have to worry about?' "Phrases like this put a wedge between you and the young person. Try to understand that feelings of depression, anxiety and self-hatred are all-consuming and cannot simply be pushed aside – and remember, as an adult, you have more coping mechanisms than they do.'
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Does mental health first aid work?
If you hurt yourself at work, chances are you'll be treated by a first aider. But mental health problems aren't always as straightforward as a cut or sprain – and it isn't always obvious what to do or who to ask for help. This is where mental health first aiders come in. Volunteers usually undergo a two-day training course to identify, understand and respond to the first signs of mental health challenges or emotional distress among workers. But they aren't psychologists or therapists; they are simply supposed to listen and direct people to mental health services, with the aim of tackling the growing problem of poor mental health in workplaces. Now, more than 20,000 employers have used Mental Health First Aid England to train staff members to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health challenges among workers. According to MHFA England, more than 1 million people have now been trained to be mental health first aiders. But does it really work? There is no denying that something needs to change in our workplaces. One in seven people in the UK workplace are currently experiencing mental health problems – and one in four people in the UK feel stressed more days a month than they don't. Despite this, many workers still feel unable to speak to their employers about a mental health problem. 'The purpose of a mental health first aider is to act as an accessible, trained peer who can identify early signs of mental distress, offer initial support, and guide colleagues toward appropriate professional help,' says Maria-Teresa Daher-Cusack, an organisational psychologist at Health Assured. Read more: How employers can prevent mental health crises at work They aren't expected to diagnose or treat mental health conditions. Instead, they are trained to listen without judgement and signpost individuals to resources such as Employee Assistance Programmes, GPs or therapists. Essentially, mental health first aiders serve as an initial point of support for individuals who are struggling, and research shows early intervention is widely associated with more positive outcomes for individuals. 'Their presence helps to normalise conversations around mental health, reduce stigma, and create a more open and supportive workplace culture,' says Daher-Cusack. 'Mental health first aiders can be a vital part of a broader wellbeing strategy. They offer a human connection at a time when someone might be feeling isolated or overwhelmed. Sometimes, just knowing there's someone approachable nearby can make all the difference.' It's easy to see why the scheme has become so popular. It's quick, easy and relatively inexpensive to train a volunteer to be a mental health first aider. In 2023, Conservative MP Dean Russell even proposed that all employers should be legally required to offer mental health first aid training. But, experts caution that it's not a silver bullet. In fact, there is mixed evidence as to whether it makes a significant difference to workplace mental health overall. A systematic review of nine studies published in 2023 found 'insufficient evidence' that the scheme 'improves the helping behaviours of trainees or the mental health of recipients'. Another study, in which researchers reviewed 21 trials of mental health first aid training involving 22,604 participants, found no reliable evidence to suggest that the programme is effective. And, studies examining the practice were found to be at a "high risk of bias". A lack of clear evidence doesn't necessarily mean that mental health first aid doesn't work. However, experts have highlighted that there are limitations. It doesn't address the wider considerations of supporting mental health at work, such as flexibility, culture, leadership and accessing professional support. 'Wellbeing initiatives underpinned by people practices as well as policies, and embedded in the culture of an organisation, can contribute to increased feelings of psychological safety at work. MHFA's can be a part of that mix for sure, but only a part of it,' says counselling directory member Nadia DiLuzio. According to DiLuzio, a downfall of mental health first aid is that it might be the workplace itself causing, contributing to or exacerbating mental health challenges. Therefore, a volunteer isn't likely to address the underlying problem. Read more: Why the pressure to be liked at work is holding women back Another commonly cited concern is the limited scope of training. 'Most MHFA courses last just one or two days – enough to build awareness and basic skills, but not sufficient to equip someone to handle complex or high-risk situations,' says Daher-Cusack. 'There is also a risk that organisations may over-rely on MHFAs or treat the initiative as a tick-box exercise. Without ongoing support, supervision, and integration into a wider mental health strategy, the impact can be limited and the emotional burden on the first aider can be significant.' Should employers abandon mental health first aid? Not necessarily. It can be effective, but only as part of a broader, systemic approach to workplace wellbeing. This includes fostering a culture of openness, clear referral pathways, access to professional support, and flexible work options. A 2023 University of Pittsburgh study found that companies offering flexible hours and locations saw significantly lower rates of depression. 'As the conversation around mental health in the workplace continues to evolve, mental health first aiders represent a promising step forward,' says Daher-Cusack. 'But like any first aid measure, their value lies in what happens next: the care, the follow-up, and the commitment to long-term wellbeing.' Read more: How to cope with pregnancy sickness at work How the maternity system is failing self-employed women Why neurodivergent workers pay the price for poor communication
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trump's anti-DEI push ‘politicizes' Pierce County teen mental health guidance
Amid the Trump administration's push to roll back programs that support diversity, equity and inclusion, terms like 'sexual assault' and 'gun violence' were removed from a national mental health program designed to train youth to identify and respond to signs of mental health crisis. Instructors who continue teaching previous guidance will lose their certifications starting in 2026, according to the nonprofit National Council for Wellbeing, which administers the program. The curricula changes, which Tacoma instructors say comes in contrast with evidence-based research, could undermine the program's success in Pierce County and nationally at a time when rates of anxiety, depression, suicide and violence are rising among youth. The Teen Mental Health First Aid program (tMHFA) is currently taught in many Pierce County schools and community organizations. Over several sessions students in the program learn how to identify, understand and respond to common mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, mood disorders, trauma, psychosis and substance use disorders. Youth also learn how to support others and how to get help from a safe, trusted adult. As of March, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department had trained more than 6,600 youth and 255 adults in the tMHFA program at 32 host sites since December 2022. In May, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing updated its tMHFA curriculum to remove several videos, including a series featuring a transgender youth's mental health journey and recovery. In addition, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing omitted words like 'sexual assault' as an example of trauma and any mention of 'gun violence' and 'school shootings.' The National Council for Mental Wellbeing told The News Tribune in a statement last week the organization 'remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing lifesaving legislation and strengthening the mental health and substance use safety net system across the country.' 'Public funding at both the federal and state levels is essential to that mission. Consequently, our organization and all those that implement Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) must adhere to all applicable federal and state guidelines, executive orders and mandates to ensure our curriculum remains compliant and our services widely accessible to help as many people as possible,' it said June 3. 'In response to recent changes in federal guidance and newly issued executive orders, we have updated our curricula. These updates do not alter the foundational elements of MHFA.' Irene Tung, with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, said via email June, 'While 'sexual assault,' 'gun violence' and 'mass shootings' were included in a long list of examples of trauma in our previous curriculum, we didn't teach about any of these topics in-depth, so we reframed the examples to be broader in the updated curriculum. For example, instead of 'gun violence,' we now say 'weapon.'' Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department communications director Kenny Via told The News Tribune in a June 4 email that the department remains 'committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of all Pierce County youth.' 'Our program in Pierce County is accredited through the National Council and our instructors are certified through the organization as well,' he said. 'As such, we have reviewed the changes and are working with our instructors and local partners to determine any areas of the curriculum we may need to supplement with additional resources.' Aran Myracle is a drop-in coordinator at the Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma and has been a tMHFA certified instructor teaching the course to LGBTQ+ youth in Pierce County for two years. Myracle said Friday it's not unheard of to see changes to the curricula, but these changes went farther than that. 'I wanted to cry when the changes came down. This is such an important curriculum to deliver to youth, and it's really frustrating to see it politicized and have the way we're delivering this curriculum to youth change, not because we've decided through evidence-based research that it would be better if we did it this way,' he said. 'It's someone's political agenda saying, 'We don't want sexuality and gender to be talked about, so we're going to take out any mentions of those.' 'We don't want guns to be demonized at school, so we're not going to talk about gun violence in schools anymore.'' Although the original curricula didn't dive into gun violence or mass shootings in depth, Myracle said, the training is highly interactive and often generated organic discussions about these topics among youth. 'I genuinely feel that youth are traumatized by going through gun violence drills at school, and it's something that is impacting their lives,' he said. 'The ability to talk about that openly, I think, is important [when] talking about youth mental health and first aid.' One of the most memorable parts of the training were several videos following 'Novak,' a real transgender teen who talked about his mental health journey, which included questioning his gender identity, withdrawing from his friends, being hospitalized for suicidality and recovering to a happy, healthy life, Myracle said. Those videos provided a positive message to teens, especially LGBTQ+ youth, to say that struggles 'could be part of your story, but it's not the end of your story,' he said. 'Removing Novak's videos removes a very important tool for reaching queer youth,' Myracle said. 'They don't see anyone like themselves in the curriculum anymore, and we know that it's very important for youth to see people who are like themselves represented when they're learning new skills and learning about new things.' Youth of color, LGBTQ+ youth and youth experiencing homelessness are more likely to experience sexual violence, and sexual assaults against youth often take place in the child's school, neighborhood or home, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. One in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused before the age of 18, according to NSVRC. A vast majority of child sexual abuse (around 80%) is perpetrated by someone known to the child, said Carlyn Sampson, the executive director of the Rebuilding Hope sexual assault center in Tacoma. Sampson said she was 'really discouraged' and 'disappointed' to see the changes to the tMHFA guidance. Over the years Rebuilding Hope has sent providers to the trainings and found benefit in its guidance. Although none of its staff are required to complete the training or adhere to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing's guidance, Sampson said she would reconsider directing people to the guidance in the future. While some might write off the tMHFA changes as semantics, Sampson argued the impacts are far-reaching. Words and language 'names and frames' people's experiences and realities, and the term 'sexual assault' exists as its own very specific form of violence, she said. 'To take away those words is to erase those survivors themselves, to erase those experiences and to erase an entire field that has decades of history of moving the needle forward on better defining, creating policy changes, changes in the law about how sexual violence crimes, how sex crimes against children, against adults, get defined,' she said. Sampson said some human service organizations and nonprofits are finding themselves 'very much in conflicting spaces of not knowing what they are allowed to do' or how to fulfill their missions with new federal and state laws. 'I'm going to operate [on] an assumption that they are just as much caught in a place of conflict and confusion,' she said. 'If nothing else, maybe this story or any further discourse that is generated by this, helps them to pause and realize that there may also be an opportunity, if they have the resources, to stand in defiance of this national guidance.' Rebuilding Hope Sexual Assault Center provides services to any individual whose life has been impacted by sexual assault. Rebuilding Hope's 24/7 Helpline is 1-855-757-7273.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
ECISD counselors equipping police with mental health first aid
May 22—Friday is a records and staff development day for ECISD, and the school district counselors are hosting a special, day-long session for ECISD police officers. The session is Youth Mental Health First Aid, and the purpose of the training is to ensure all District officers have the tools to recognize when a student may be in crisis, respond with care, and promote mental health support in school. The ECISD Guidance & Counseling Department is rolling out this training in phases with the goal of training all ECISD employees to be aware of signs of crisis, even things like slight changes in a student's behavior or moods. Recognizing warning signs early can give professionals the opportunity to provide intervention and support to benefit the student. The training will be held in Conference Rooms A/B and E of the ECISD Administration Building, 802 N. Sam Houston. It runs from 8 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and from 1-4 p.m.
