Web site MHFA Australia
Web site – https://mhfa.com.au/
Table of Contents:
What is Mental Health?
“…a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”
World Health Organisation (quoted in 1.1 of the MHFA Manual)
What are mental health problems?
A mental disorder or mental illness is a diagnosable illness that affects a person’s thinking, emotional state and behaviour, and disrupts the person’s ability to work or carry out other daily activities and engage in satisfying personal relationships.
Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental Disorders 5th ed. American Psychiatric Association (quoted in 1.1 of the MHFA Manual)
What I learned in the MHFA course:
- To look for certain signs
- Ask certain questions
- Listen
- Not give labels
- Not be judgemental
- Be a companion
- Share information
- Where necessary encourage seeking of expert health care
- Be sensitively proactive in regard to suicide prevention.
- Short videos:
Mental Health First Aid interviewed on ABC News about their course relating to suicide
3:43
Mental Health First Aid – Harjyot’s Story
1:56
How does this relate to our role in the Secretariat?
- Conveying the love and care of the National Spiritual Assembly to individuals and the community.
- Understanding our cases
- Similar skills to the Child Protection Policy training in receiving disclosures and noticing problems.
- Applying MHFA skills in our interactions with visitors, work colleagues, community members, family.
- Caring for ourselves.
- Better appreciating the relevant Baha’i principles.
- …