The Working Mind – First Responders
The Working Mind First Responders (TWMFR) is an education-based program designed to address and promote mental health and reduce the stigma of mental illness in a first-responder setting.
What is The Working Mind First Responders?
The Working Mind First Responders is a training program aimed to:
- improve short-term performance and long-term mental health outcomes
- reduce barriers to care and encourage early access to care
- provide the tools and resources required to manage and support first responders who may be experiencing a mental illness; and
- assist supervisors in maintaining their own mental health as well as promoting positive mental health in their employees
Goals
- to support the mental health and wellbeing of first responders
- to enable the full productivity of employees
- to ensure the workplace is respectful and inclusive of all employees, including those with mental health problems and mental illness
- to encourage first responders to seek help for mental health problems and mental illness
Objectives
- to examine the effects of mental health problems and mental illness in the workplace
- to help first responders identify indicators of declining and poor mental health in themselves and others
- to introduce the concept of the Mental Health Continuum Model
- to review employees’, managers’, and employers’ mental health rights and responsibilities
- to provide strategies to maintain good mental health
Central Components
- The Mental Health Continuum Model, which categorizes one’s mental health within a continuum: green (healthy), yellow (reacting), orange (injured), and red (ill).
- Allows individuals to identify indicators of declining or poor mental health in themselves, and others (without diagnostic labels and their associated stigma)
- Stresses that individuals can move along the continuum; if one ends up in the red “ill” phase, he or she can move back towards the green “healthy phase”
- Teaches the appropriate action one can take for themselves and for others at each point along the continuum.
- “Big 4” — a set of evidenced-based, cognitive behavioural therapy-based techniques that help individuals cope with stress and improve their mental health and resiliency. The Big 4 are positive self-talk, visualization, tactical breathing, and SMART goal setting.
- Research indicates that contact-based education is one of the best ways of reducing stigma. TWMFR includes custom videos of people with mental illnesses describing some of their experiences with mental illness and stigma, as well as those who supported them and their journey to recovery. Click here to read our preliminary evaluations report.
Three tailored course options
Primary
Primary (5-hour course), where participants are provided with valuable information, skills, tools and resources specific to:
- stigma and barriers to care
- healthy coping strategies
- mental toughness; and
- The Mental Health Continuum Model, a self-assessment tool with indicators of positive, poor, and declining mental health. (Example of the Continuum Model featured below)
Leadership
Leadership (8 hour course), where in addition to the topics covered in the employee course, leaders acquire tools and skills specific to:
- workplace accommodations and return to work
- the role of leadership in promoting positive mental health in employees
- ad hoc incident reviews; and
- early recognition.
Facilitator Certification Training
Train the Trainer (5-day course)
- In an effort to promote sustainability, TWMFR is to be delivered as a 5-day, train-the-trainer model where participants become facilitators and deliver both training packages (8-hour and 5-hour) to their co-workers.
- We recommend that organizations develop a roll out plan for implementation once the train-the-trainer session is complete.
- Leaders are recommended to take the training before employees, or close to the employees taking it for consistency of content and discussions.
- Facilitators are encouraged host workshops within a month of completing the train-the-trainer sessions.
- Primary and Leadership courses should be limited to 24 participants to allow for full discussion.
The Program is only facilitated by certified facilitators who have successfully completed the Facilitator Certification Training (FCT). To be eligible to participate in the FCT, candidates must demonstrate these minimum requirements:
- Frontline experience as a first responder and/or experience in frontline response (i.e. social services or crisis intervention). Those without frontline or first responder experience should apply to “The Working Mind“.
- Experience supporting mental health and well-being at work or in the community.
- Ability to lead group discussions for groups of 8 or more.
- Ability to facilitate a minimum number of courses on a yearly basis (as outlined in the “Facilitator Contract”)and a commitment to meeting this requirement.
- Positive attitudes towards people living with mental health problems
- Driven to reduce stigma/discrimination associated with mental health in the workplace
- Proficient on PowerPoint, must have a valid email address, strong internet connection, and access to a computer. A two-screen setup is optimal for virtual facilitation.
- If applicable: Knowledge of virtual delivery platforms such as Zoom or MS Teams. The virtual FCT is exclusively delivered on the Zoom platform.
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