STAFF GETS MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING TO SUPPORT CO-WORKERS | What’s Up WPS

Employees in the WPS Human Resources Department and district campus monitors are now certified in Mental Health First Aid so they can be proactive in providing support for their co-workers. The training is the latest example of district efforts to meet the mental health challenges of both staff and students.

“If adults aren’t supported, we aren’t going to be much good for our students,” said Melisa Sandoval who joined the Human Resources Department earlier this year in the newly created position of Director of Wellness. “Our campus monitors and human resource employees have daily contact with our staff. They are the ideal people to have on the front lines as we battle mental health challenges.”

Employees who have gone through training and certification are better equipped to support co-workers, specifically in these areas:

• Risk factors and warning signs of mental health and substance abuse challenges;
• Information on depression, anxiety, trauma, psychosis, and substance use;
• How to apply a 5-step action plan to help someone who is showing:

– Early signs of a mental health or substance use challenge

– Worsening signs of a mental health challenge

– Signs of a mental health crisis

• Evidence-based professional, peer, and self-help resources to support protective factors;
• Wellness strategies for Mental Health First Aiders, using the 8 Dimensions of Wellness model.

Just last week, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Parents. Dr. Murthy called for everyone to pay close attention to the growing percentage of parents who report having high levels of stress.