Support for staff and students in mental health crisis
Support for staff and students in mental health crisis
** Trigger warning – this article mentions suicide **
The Staff and Student Wellbeing Teams are pleased to launch two important new pieces of guidance. The Staff in Mental Health Crisis Guidance and Students Experiencing Poor Mental Health and Wellbeing Guide are a key part of our Health and Wellbeing Strategic Plan.
The University aims to foster a culture where conversations about mental health are the
norm and where staff and students feel confident to seek support for mental ill health including in a mental health crisis. A key element of the University’s approach to supporting mental health is therefore to ensure staff have access to the tools and resources they need to support the wellbeing of those they manage and of our students. This includes guidance on what to do to support a member of staff or a student in crisis.
Staff in Mental Health Crisis Guidance
This guidance can be accessed here: UoHStaffinMentalHealthCrisisProcedure-finalversion23-10-18.pdf (hud.ac.uk) and is aimed at managers. We recommend that all managers familiarise themselves with the contents of this document. It will help them to understand what is meant by a mental health crisis, help them to recognise the signs when a member of staff may be experiencing a mental health crisis, provide a step-by-step guide of how to support the member of staff and also how to take care of themselves. If you have any questions in relation to this document please contact Claire Dambawinna, Staff Wellbeing Lead on C.Dambawinna@hud.ac.uk to discuss.
Students Experiencing Poor Mental Health and Wellbeing Guide
For staff already familiar with supporting students, this guide serves as an overview and reminder of the internal and external pathways available to support students, whatever their level of need.
For staff who don’t support students on a regular basis, this guide provides comprehensive information to help assess a student’s level of need, to understand what steps to take and to learn what support options are available.
Printed copies of the guide are available for you to display in prominent staff-facing areas, such as kitchens and communal areas. An accessible version of the guide is available online: Student Mental Health Support - University of Huddersfield, along with a PDF version, a set of short training videos and additional guidance to support you in supporting our students. For more information and to request copies of the poster, please contact Clare Taylor, Project Manager: University Mental Health Charter, on C.Taylor5@hud.ac.uk to discuss.
Suicide Awareness Training
For those who feel able, and to support the roll-out of this guidance, we would like to recommend the Zero Suicide Alliance Suicide Awareness Training. The course takes approximately 20-30 minutes to complete and provides the skills and confidence to support someone who may be considering suicide. Please click here: Wellbeing E-Learning Suite - University of Huddersfield and select the Suicide Awareness course.
Please note: Zero Suicide Alliance is a charity. At the end of this training there’s an invitation to make a donation. The University does not expect you to make a donation. Whether or not you donate is entirely up to you.