Someone to talk to

Mental health first aiders (MHFAs) are a network of council employees who have been trained to be a point of contact if you are experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress.

What MHFAs do

MHFAs are trained to recognise the signs and symptoms of common mental health issues, such as stress, anxiety and depression. They provide a confidential, non-judgemental listening and assistance service and can direct you to the relevant support, as required. 

MHFAs are not a replacement for a mental health professional or GP. 

Contact a MHFA

The council has nearly 450 recognised Mental Health First Aiders​ (XLSX, 66KB).

To access the list of mental health first aider contact details, you need to have an Essex County Council email address and password. If you work for us but cannot open the list, please email wellbeing@essex.gov.uk.

You can contact MHFAs during office hours on Microsoft Teams or by email or phone. You don't need to contact a MHFA within your function. It is your choice who you feel comfortable speaking to and how you contact them.

When contacting a MHFA please make it clear you need to speak to them in their capacity as a mental health first aider. This will help them to be able to provide you with the right level of support.

If you need to speak to someone outside office hours, there is other support available. 

Confidentiality

We want you to feel safe while talking to a MHFA, so you can tell them how you’re really feeling.

The only time a MHFA will break confidentiality is if you give them permission to or they are concerned that you may be at risk of harming yourself or others. A MHFA will not involve anyone else without your knowledge.

Become a MHFA

To become a mental health first aider you must complete a 2 day MHFA England course. This is an online  awareness and skills course, which includes a mix of presentations, discussions and group work activities. 

What the role involves

As a MHFA you will:

• be a confidential point of contact for employees who are experiencing a mental health issue or are in emotional distress and would like to talk to someone (contact may take place face to face, by email, or by telephone)
• provide early interventions and help to employees who may be developing a mental health issue
• take time to have conversations to support employees to get appropriate help, through signposting and escalating issues where necessary
• be part of the mental health first aiders network, sharing learning in a confidential way and attending refresher training every 3 years

With training, you will be able to:

• spot the early signs and symptoms of mental ill health
• start a supportive conversation with a colleague who may be experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress
• listen to the person non-judgementally
• encourage the person to access appropriate professional support or self-help strategies - this might include encouraging access to internal support systems such as the employee assistance programme
• know when to step back, or to escalate to the appropriate emergency services, if necessary
• maintain confidentiality as appropriate
• complete critical incident documents as and when necessary
• protect yourself while performing this role

What skills and qualities you need

To become a MHFA you need to be:

• empathic, approachable, supportive and a good listener
• trustworthy and able to maintain confidentiality
• non-judgemental and objective
• confident and resilient

Sign up or get more information

If you are interested in becoming a MHFA, email mhfa.enquiries@essex.gov.uk.