Going beyond MHFA courses to truly support employee well-being

Physical health first aid training, whether it be whole staff annual refreshers or courses for designated first aiders, is part of everyone’s CPD calendar. But that’s not all you do to keep your employees physically healthy and safe at work, is it?

As an employer, you do as much as possible to keep your employees physically safe – everything from installing accessibility ramps to toolbox talks about your latest piece of kit.

The same is true for keeping your employees psychologically safe. Mental health first aid training is only one part of a holistic approach to supporting good mental health across your organisation.

But an MHFA course doesn’t do the whole job by itself.

What else can you do to create a work environment that helps good mental health to flourish? Build on your strong MHFA training foundation with these three practical ways to support your staff’s mental well-being.

The problem with relying solely on MHFA courses

The main aim of the accredited MHFA training is to train people to spot the signs of mental ill health and to provide support. Course participants then become the mental health first aiders in their workplace. Just like your other first aiders.

Unfortunately, some organisations stop there. While it’s good practice to train mental health first aiders, there are challenges with MHFA courses if that’s the only thing your organisation relies on. Such as:

• Standardisation: MHFA courses follow a set curriculum and give a solid grounding of mental health awareness in the workplace. But they’re not designed to address complex issues or specific mental health needs of your workplace.
  
  
• Lack of follow-up training: Only so much can be covered in a 2-day course and if there’s no further customised training, there’s no opportunity to go under the surface of mental health issues.
  
  
• Only ticking the box: ‘Doing MFHA’ can be seen as a compliance tick, rather than actually investing in employee well-being – missing the opportunity to effect lasting cultural change.
  
  
• Supporting the supporters: Your mental health first aiders need to build their confidence and upkeep their skills. They also need to have a way to process their responses to the distress and crisis moments they witness.
  
  
• Not embedding MHFA within the company culture: Your MFHA training needs to be one part of an organisation-wide mental health strategy. Policies, procedures and practices encompass everyone, from the boardroom to the contractors. Otherwise, the MFHA training will have little impact on the more nuanced issues.

It’s great that you’re considering MHFA training for your people. But it’s not a cure-all to the complexities of managing mental health issues in the workplace.

Here are 3 other ways you can construct a robust mental health strategy that really supports your employees’ well-being.

1. Ongoing mental health initiatives to support employees

Creating a workplace culture that values mental health requires consistent, proactive efforts. Here’s how ongoing initiatives can make a difference:

Regular mental health campaigns

Foster awareness and reduce stigma with year-round initiatives. Host workshops, awareness days, and speaker sessions that address mental health topics like stress management and mindfulness.

It might be useful to align with national and international mental health campaigns, like World Mental Health Day.

Keep employees informed by consistently promoting available mental health resources through emails, posters, and internal communication platforms. Ensure these efforts are engaging and highly visible to sustain their impact.

Provide accessible support

Make it easy for employees to seek help by offering counselling services, employee assistance programs (EAPs), and wellness app subscriptions. Use anonymous feedback channels to give employees a safe space to share concerns and suggest improvements.

Regularly highlight the availability of these resources to ensure employees know where to turn when they need support.

Sometimes, when you meet a mental health challenge, the biggest barrier to getting support is actually finding the right type of help. Wading through the internet’s worth of resources can be too overwhelming. So simplifying this step by curating a range of highly visible options is extremely valuable.

Flexible work options

Rigid work environments can exacerbate stress, so introducing flexibility can significantly improve mental well-being. If you can, offer adjustable work hours or remote work policies to help employees balance personal and professional demands.

Encourage managers to maintain manageable workloads and foster a culture of understanding when personal challenges arise. By empowering employees to tailor their schedules, you create a workplace where people can thrive.

2. Provide regular mental health training and updates

You need an ongoing mental health strategy that focuses on early intervention. By identifying mental ill health indicators quickly, you can get support in place before they escalate, which is better for both the individual and your business.

Advanced mental health training

Basic Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a strong foundation, but advanced training equips managers and teams with deeper skills to support mental health effectively.

Go beyond the basics by introducing organisation-wide workshops that teach a deeper understanding of wider mental health issues, or focus on a particularly relevant area, like trauma-informed workplace training.

Your training should be tailored to reflect the unique challenges of your workplace, sometimes even focusing on a particularly vulnerable group within your organisation.

Continuous learning

Mental health support isn’t static—it evolves with workplace dynamics, medical advancements, and societal changes. Plan ongoing education to keep employees informed about emerging mental health challenges and solutions.

Regularly update training materials to incorporate the latest research, tools, and trends. Topics such as navigating burnout in remote work, fostering inclusivity in mental health discussions, and stress management can ensure your organisation remains proactive.

Integrate continuous learning opportunities, such as webinars, discussion forums, and online courses, to keep mental health top of mind across the team.

Upskilling leaders

Leaders play a crucial role in shaping workplace culture, and equipping them with the right tools can make a profound impact. Train leadership teams to model healthy behaviours, like setting boundaries and prioritising their own mental health, to inspire employees.

Provide specialised training on creating psychologically safe environments where employees feel heard and supported. Additionally, integrate mental health considerations into leadership decision-making processes, ensuring policies and strategies actively promote employee well-being alongside hitting business targets. A well-prepared leadership team sets the tone for a mentally healthy workplace.

3. Make mental well-being an essential part of your workplace culture

Ideally, all your policies and practices are interwoven – with mental well-being, this may need some subtle layering.

If people feel like their mental health is being treated as an afterthought or an ‘extra compliance thing’, it’s unlikely that you’ll get anyone’s buy-in, no matter how good the training.

Here’s how to make your mental health strategy a fundamental part of your workplace:

Embed mental health policies

Integrating mental health into your organisation’s policies and values ensures it becomes a core part of your workplace culture. Embed mental health priorities into your company values and reflect them in performance reviews to signal their importance.

Update HR policies to include clear guidelines for supporting mental health, ensuring employees know what help is available and how to access it.

Additionally, incorporate mental health considerations into return-to-work and absence management plans, offering tailored support to employees transitioning back after a leave of absence.

These steps demonstrate a commitment to mental well-being that permeates every level of the organisation.

Foster psychological safety

Creating an environment of psychological safety encourages employees to speak openly about mental health without fear of stigma or judgment.

Promote honest conversations by normalising discussions about mental health during team meetings or through leadership-led initiatives. Ensure managers have the skills to actively listen and respond empathetically to concerns, building trust among their teams.

Recognise and reward behaviours that contribute to a supportive workplace, such as colleagues who demonstrate empathy, offer assistance, or advocate for mental health resources.

Celebrating these actions reinforces a culture where employees feel safe and valued, empowering everyone to contribute to a mentally healthy workplace.

Normalise honest conversations about mental health

When leaders and managers openly discuss mental health, they set a powerful example that encourages acceptance and reduces stigma.

By sharing their own experiences or challenges, leaders demonstrate vulnerability and authenticity, which can inspire employees to do the same. Even just hearing a manager admit to feeling stressed gives other staff licence to say the same.

Highlighting organisational initiatives, such as mental health campaigns, support programs, or success stories from employees who have benefited from available resources, reinforces the message that mental well-being is a shared priority.

A combination of these actions creates a culture of openness and trust, where discussing mental health is as routine and accepted as any other workplace topic.

Personalised mental health training with Resilient People

Going beyond MHFA training to more effectively support employees’ good mental health is a strong investment. You need to build an approach to well-being that goes beyond identifying poor mental health indicators and reacting to crises.

By investing in bespoke solutions, businesses can create a healthier, more innovative, and sustainable workforce. With Resilient People as your expert partner, you’ll get a mental health training package that’s personalised to the unique needs and challenges of your organisation.

After detailed consultations, we’ll construct tailored training that aligns your mental health initiatives with your business objectives.

Give us a call and let’s talk about how we can best support your people.