Praise for mental health first aiders
September 2019

Seventeen CMS WINDOW SYSTEMS employees have successfully trained as mental health first aiders by completing the Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid (SMHFA) course.

Staff from throughout the business completed the 12-hour course run NHS Health Scotland, which teaches skills for providing help to people experiencing thoughts of suicide or mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and psychosis. The training was organised as part of a wider programme to improve wellbeing within the organisation and give mental health the same support framework as physical health and safety.

CEO David Ritchie praised the trainees, saying: “It is tremendous to see so many volunteers from across our organisation choose to develop the skills needed to identify the early signs of mental health problems amongst their colleagues.

”Awareness of mental health in the workplace is thankfully increasing right across the building and manufacturing industries, but we must continue to look for ways to reduce the enormous harm that mental health problems can cause.”

The knowledge presented and understanding developed in the SMHFA course also helps to remove stigma and fear by giving confidence to individuals to approach a colleague in distress. By completing the SMHFA course, the seventeen CMS employees have developed their awareness of attitudes towards and understanding of mental health, the recovery message, listening skills and how to offer first aid to someone experiencing a problem.

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