New Mental Health First Aid course being offered

NEWS RELEASE
ST. JOHN AMBULANCE
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St. John Ambulance Sault Ste Marie branch is pleased to announce we are now offering the Mental Health First Aid course.

Just as physical first aid is administered to an injured person before medical treatment can be obtained, MHFA is given until appropriate treatment is found or until the crisis is resolved.

The class is offered with The Mental Health Commission of Canada. This is a 12-hour course to give students confidence and skills to engage someone with an emerging mental health problem or in a mental health crisis.

This basic course is well suited to workplaces seeking to reduce incidences of mental health problems and issues. It’s an international program proven to provide improved mental health of students and a significantly greater recognition of the most common mental health problems. No pre-requisites. This course is running on Monday, Nov. 25 and Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019. The public can register online at www.sja.ca or call the office at 705-945-1224.

In a recent major Canadian study, 82 per cent of responding organizations ranked mental health conditions in their top three causes of short term disability (72 per cent for long-term).

Thirty per cent of all short- and long-term disability claims are due to mental health problems and illnesses. Productivity: Happy and psychologically healthy employees work harder and more efficiently. Cost savings due to disability and absenteeism: There is a strong link between mental health, physical well-being and injury prevention

Operational Success: Mentally healthy workplaces are characterized by higher levels of employee motivation, commitment, innovation and creativity, as well as fewer errors, better decision making and improved planning.

Recruitment and retention: Top candidates today are looking for a workplace that supports their personal and professional growth.

Conflict Reduction: Better mental health among employees means fewer grievances and complaints and a stronger corporate reputation

Operational Success: Mentally healthy workplaces are characterized by higher levels of employee motivation, commitment, innovation and creativity, as well as fewer errors, better decision making and improved planning.

Mental Health First Aid Canada is included on the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Best Practices Portal where it is classified as a best practice, meaning it has:

• High Impact - positive changes related to the desired goal(s).
• High Adaptability - successful adaptation and transferability to different settings.
• High Quality of Evidence - excellent quality of research/evaluation methodology, confirming the intervention's high impact and adaptability evidence.

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