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People who should be trained in mental health first aid at work are usually the colleagues others are most likely to turn to: managers, HR and people teams, frontline staff, trusted colleagues, and remote workers. It is not necessarily the most senior people who are the best fit. Trust, availability, and willingness matter more than job title, so looking at each employee’s role, stress levels, and comfort with giving support gives a clearer answer than hierarchy alone.
For workplaces and organisations deciding who to train, that choice affects how quickly a colleague in distress gets early support and whether people feel safe asking for help. This article explains how to identify the right mental health first aiders, what roles and qualities make someone suitable, and when your organisation may need to train more people to support wellbeing across the workplace.
Typically, the right people make the training effective. You want peopel who will go ahead and use the skills when needed. They act as the first line of help for colleagues. In addition, they can:
Build trust in the team
Ensure that help is available when needed
Relieves the burden on unprepared staff
Supports existing wellbeing work
Helps actually use the training, not forget it
Hence, people who fit the training will notice the signs of distress in their coworkers and initiate a conversation. That is why the selection of people has as much importance as training itself.
For more on mental health first aid in the workplace, see our previous article.
Mental health first aiders provide early support. Additionally, they are not trained counselors or doctors. Instead, they are trained in:
As per Healthdirect, mental health first aid courses show individuals how to identify mental health concerns and give guidance to peers until professional help is accessed. MHFA also gives participants a tangible action plan for crisis situations such as panic attacks and suicidal thoughts. One must also clarify the job description of mental health first aiders: accredited MHFA programs are created by mental health professionals, but first aiders are not encouraged to deal with a crisis alone, provide therapy, or replace a doctor or psychologist when someone is experiencing mental illness.
They notice the signs that someone is struggling, and encourage that person towards the right support.
There are a few professional groups that should be trained, and while this article focuses on work, mental health first aid courses are also suitable for workplaces and community groups.
Human resources departments are naturally built to assist employees. This is because they:
Are knowledgeable resources of the wellbeing policies and procedures.
Act as a reliable source of information for employees.
Are able to provide ongoing mental health support.
Also are experts in handling sensitive matters.
Can make connections with training and well-being programs.
Managers normally observe changes in the workforce first. Also, they:
Can recognise signs of concern and changes in symptoms.
Can hold regular conversations and identify problems.
Can bring issues to the attention of Human Resources.
Create a positive atmosphere.
Such workers are subjected to pressure and stress regularly. In addition, they:
Usually deal with problems and issues faced by customers.
Can gain some skills and tools while supporting colleagues.
Assist others to manage stressful shifts as well.
There are some employees whom their colleagues trust.
They are probably appropriate for the training and willing to help.
Never feel obliged to become trusted colleagues.
Help staff to communicate better with managers.
Encourage adults to ask for help when experiencing a mental health problem.
Do not just limit the area of support to the central site. Focus on the following factors:
Each site is included, instead of just one site.
It provides help for employees who work alone.
It reduces the dependency on one central team at one location.
All sites should have access to support.
The significance increases as remote working becomes more popular.
Focus on the individual’s characteristics rather than leadership roles, and choose people with the knowledge and willingness to offer support, not just seniority. Some of these are:
Stays calm in difficult situations
Listens correctly
Reliable and accessible
Actually enjoys the job
Speaks clearly
Knows their limits
These characteristics surpass the job position, title, or the length of service. For instance, junior employees with excellent listening skills can often be much better than senior managers who are not so keen to perform their duties.
Do not force anyone into the role of training. It is as important to be willing as to be competent. Hence, the following individuals might not be suitable for this part:
Overworked employees
Uninterested people
Workers without the leadership approval
People who may have their won issues going on, that make it difficult for them to provide support
Employees who cannot keep secrets
Briefly, readiness is more important than being forced to do the work. Otherwise, the intervention will be ineffective for both the person receiving help and their colleagues.
The need to instruct more people depends on size, complexity, and the range of teams or sites needing coverage. Hence, the following conditions should not be overlooked.
Big teams or several locations that need access to mental health support across the workplace
Working shifts or working 24/7
Positions involving lots of customer interaction
Locked-out employees serving out-of-office customers
Rapidly expanding number of workers
Certain industries that present great danger
The growth of the workplace implies that one or two trained employees are insufficient. Thus, the coverage of the issue must be revisited systematically. Hence, with proper workplace mental health training, HR can reveal several important factors.
In conclusion, it is evident that the right candidates are always accessible, willing. and trustworthy, all at the same time. If the right candidates are selected for an organization, the safety and quality of services will be increased over time. It is important to note that it is not about training everybody or training only experienced employees. It is essential to choose the right match for the position and train them to perform their job effectively.
Candidates including managers, human resources personnel, front-line employees, team leaders, and anyone in a position to give support. It is more important that an individual fits the role than their rank. Beyond workplace roles, any adult aged 18 or older can attend a mental health first aid course. Some courses are also available for young people, and individuals as young as 12 can take suitable courses. To find local options, check official resources such as Mental Health First Aid Australia.
It varies depending on the size of the workforce, nature of the job, and level of risks involved. It usually means that larger workplaces or those exposed to more hazards must have a bigger pool of trained personnel.
No, a mental health first aider is trained to intervene and give support but is not meant to carry out professional counseling. In the standard mental health first aid course, no pre-learning is required. After completing the course requirements, participants can become accredited mental health first aiders for 3 years.
