Mental health first aiders at work - overrated

[Portapotty]

The company should be out sourcing and using professionals? AIBU?

Yes, seems people are confused as to their role. They're not trained councillors or mental health clinicians.
Using your example of the physical first aider....yes great if Julie's had a fit or Ben has cut is finger, but not appropriate for Sarah's dodgy hip or Chris's runny eye...
It's similar with MH. It could be a crisis, so someone's broken down,at work or confided that they've taken an overdose....the immediate first aid might simply be offering reassurance and calling for an ambulance.

That's bloody disgraceful!!

I did this training and thought it was rubbish - just a shallow nod towards something that is poorly understood by many people, no depth whatsoever. I have also done standard first aid training and didn't think much of that either. Both were essentially box ticking exercises.

Our mental health first aider was the areas biggest gossip. I swear she only volunteered for new material. Would be the last person I would have gone too

Yep - we have a few and they're all pretty much the same.

We do also have an external confidential employee support programme that offers a counselling service though.

we have a group of people that will take time to listen if someone wants a bit of a chat or to get something off their chest, they don't give MH advice but they are for signposting to professional help, providing information and can call the counselling service for you if you are unaware of the service or uncomfortable contacting them (Counselling is outsourced and not part of the company) it works well for us and is reasonably well used, they also are involved in events, promoting the employee assistance programme, celebrating different days etc.

Outsource? So pay someone to be on site all the time just in case there's a MH crisis. If they were in 'the sick room' I doubt they'd pick up on all the other subtle signs of poor or worsening MH. You need people doted about amongst fee staff. Most people can spot a limp, see blood, recognise a faint etc...the signs of mental ill health are much more subtle, hence the need to be the eyes and ears.
I think it's possible you've misunderstood the role of the MHFA...or your employer has

We have them at my work. I’m not sure how helpful they really are as all they can do is signpost you to other help. You can that yourself with a quick google. Still it looks good and makes the employer look ‘caring’.

One of the people I manage is also a MHFA in our organisation.
This MHFA is not all all gossipy which is perhaps why people are confident about speaking to her.
Sometimes people just want to have a chat with someone who is not their manager if they are feeling stressed or a bit down or anxious. Speaking to someone who will listen is often all that the person needs.
And if it’s more, then the MHFA can signpost them to where they can get more appropriate help such as a counselling service that the organisation pays for.
It’s extremely confidential, and I can say that even when someone in my team has consulted her, she would never dream of telling me. Or anyone else.
MHFAs are a valuable part of an organisation and if some MHFAs are either gossiping or if people don’t want to speak to them, then the organisation needs to think about who they allow to be MHFAs.

It's a two day training course for MHFA. I wouldn't say it's not useful, but it's very much about recognising there's a problem and knowing how to get help.

A mental health first aider isn't there to provide counselling or long term support, in the way a physical health first aider isn't there to provide anything more than immediate help. It's designed for when someone has, say, a panic attack and someone can help in the moment. Move them somewhere quieter for example, away from other colleagues. Or to know when to call for emergency help.

It's also to help reduce stigma in the workplace (and not just the work place). To be an advocate for mental health and emotional wellbeing.

The original course was 5 days and was excellent. It seems to get shorter and shorter over the years which is a huge shame. And as others have pointed out, it depends so much on having a good, involved trainer. But delivered well, it is still an excellent course.

Yes, anyone with access to Google can figure out most answers, the posters put up in work about where to get help don't need someone trained in MHFA to stick them on the wall. The MHFA trainers (who train MHFA) are both warm, lovely people who genuinely believe in what they do but I honestly don't think MHFA are needed unless you are unlucky enough to not have a manager or colleagues as they'd be best placed to support you and guide to help - they can help spot the 'subtle signs' far quicker than any stranger who's been on a training course... The MHFA also seem to think they know more about MH than everyone else (when they don't actually) and can be a bit insufferable with it which is a barrier to approaching them.
It's for companies to absolve themselves of any further duty if care that's all.

That is a bad First Aider. I did First Aid training, and the trainers catchphrase throughout was 'If in doubt, ship them out' - call an ambulance/get them to see GP etc. There is no way I'd have said it was fine for you to carry on in work.

We don't have mental health first aiders, we barely have standard first aiders, you have to fill out a 3 page form and sign a log with security if you want a plaster

I have come under a lot of mental health pressure in recent times, death of my brother, dad and then a marriage break up. Mental health first aiders are part of a much wider process which a good organisation has to support its staff. In my case it guided me towards counselling- talking therapy which I think and I mean this seriously, helped me pull back from a very dark place where I was having suicidal thoughts. The more people interested in mental health the better in my view.

I think it's ridiculous. At our place the mental health first aiders are admin staff who have an interest ( whatever that means) and the lecturers / teachers are mental health nurses! Bonkers!

Just because your company is using MHFA as a tick box exercise doesn't mean it's worthless, or pointless or anything like it. I've met many useless first aiders, but I don't dismiss the entire thing as pointless.