Next week is Mental Health Awareness Week. People working in healthcare cite numerous barriers to seeking help with their mental health. These can include the fear that colleagues will find out; help will not be confidential; and that healthcare professionals are expected to be able to solve their problems on their own. It is very important when responding to colleagues in distress, to let them know that they are not alone and that seeking help is natural and normal.
Over the course of next week, a number of different resources will be available to help us support each other:
Beyond Stigma, Shame and Silence Webinar - Conversations that can save lives
Tuesday 12th May at 12.30
Confident Conversations are running a free webinar during Mental Health Awareness Week This is using supportive coaching techniques to help colleagues in the workplace and may be of interest to line managers throughout the Trust.
Andrea Newton of Confident Conversations, is hosting a free webinar built around one idea:
Stop telling people to reach out. Reach in!
In 45 minutes you’ll learn:
- How to start the conversations with someone who is not okay – even when they say they are
- What to actually say and what NOT to say
- A simple framework you can use immediately
- How this applies to crisis, domestic abuse, menopause, and beyond
This is free. It’s practical. And it’s the action behind the awareness
Supporting Colleagues in Crisis
Delivering healthcare is demanding and it can have implications for colleagues' mental health. If you are looking for help to support a colleague experiencing mental distress, please see the information here Colleague in crisis
Sometimes a situation can feel stressful and there may be some immediate risks. That is not the moment when we want to be searching for some guidelines. Please see if you can find 10 minutes to familiarise yourself with the Supporting Colleagues in Crisis resource.
Mental Health Toolkit
The workplace mental health toolkit has been developed to support you when you are experiencing either stress or distress and it’s related to your work role. However, there may be knowledge or skills you pick up along the way which can translate to your life outside of work too. This toolkit isn’t just for colleagues who are struggling right now, it may also be useful for colleagues who may wish to know what to do if they experience challenges in the future. CHFT Workplace Mental Health Toolkit
Mental Health Training
Ian Noonan (Nurse Consultant for Mental Health) facilitates Making Every Contact Count for Mental Health study days, and has devised with colleagues from SWYFT and an Expert by Experience, a Mental Health Skills for Acute Hospital Care study day. Please see further details on the Trust Intranet. All welcome.