Jac becomes a Mental Health First Aider

Jac Jordan has become the second member of Team Viva to qualify as a Mental Health First Aider (MHFA).

Since working with Lancashire Mind as one of her clients, Jac had become more aware and interested in mental health issues generally – she was keen to find out more when the chance to train as a MHFA came up.

The course aims to give people the skills and confidence to recognise and positively respond to the signs and symptoms of common mental health conditions, and effectively guide a person towards the right support.

Delegates learned how to listen, reassure, and react positively, even in a crisis situation. They were also taught how to spot the things in the workplace that might contribute to mental ill health, understand their boundaries and limitations, and how to look after their own wellbeing when trying to support others.

Jac completed her training via Lancashire Mind, as they have delivery partners on hand to host the course. Jac’s training was spread over four mornings, two on one week and two the following week.

Since completing her MHFA training, Jac has said it was the best training she’d ever done.

Jac Jordan has become the second member of Team Viva to qualify as a Mental Health First Aider (MHFA).

She said: “We had a really great trainer which I think helped massively. He had real-life experience of serious mental health issues himself so was speaking authentically.

“I was quite nervous and apprehensive beforehand – would I understand it? Will others on the course know more? But I didn’t need to worry, as the course is structured in such a way that it was easy to follow and enjoyable.

“Breaking the topic of mental health down into bitesize chunks, using plain English to explain everything, plus some online learning you can do after the session to cement what you’ve done – the whole thing was so interesting.

“It made me think about things in a different way, gave me far more understanding and provided me with a framework to work within that definitely gives me more confidence to step forward and help people.

“It’s important that mental health issues are spoken about more openly without fear of prejudice or discrimination, and this course really helps you do that.”

One of the biggest takeaways Jac got from the MHFA training was to simply listen.

She continued: “I mean really listen. Listen actively, and don’t try and solve or jump in with examples of how you understand because X, Y or Z has happened to you. Listen to what that individual is telling you and also importantly thank them. Thank them for telling you.

“It’s usually a really difficult thing to open up and you may be the first person that they’ve told. Sometimes just saying it out loud to someone who is listening can help them massively, so acknowledging and thanking them is validating.”

Now that Jac has qualified as a MHFA, she joins Viva’s Health and Wellbeing Manager – aka our ‘Head of Happiness’ – Sandra Garner as a first port of call for anyone who needs someone to talk to.

Jac said: “I just want people to know that I’m there as a point of contact if needed. The course is not there to turn you into a counsellor or therapist. You’re there to listen, support and guide the individual to seek further professional help if they wish.

“I think it’s important to have MHFAs in the team because 1 in 4 of us will experience mental health issues at some point – that’s quite a lot. Even in a small team of ten that’s two of us, and I really believe that we all need to play an active role in breaking down the stigma that still exists around mental health, especially in the workplace.

“It’s by talking openly, honestly, without fear of repercussions or embarrassment will we ‘normalise’ mental health in the same way as we do physical health. I hope we can encourage each other to seek help as and when it’s needed, and hopefully before reaching a crisis point.

“Everyone deserves good mental health.”

To find out more about the training offered by Lancashire Mind, please click here.