MAKE MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID MANDATORY IN WORKPLACES!

In every workplace in Ireland you are required to hold a valid occupational first aid certificate before beginning or obtain one while in employment.

Why can't it be the same for mental health first aid?

Helps:

- Understand when someone needs help and where to send them.

- Eliminates the stigma associated with mental health.

- Everyone understands mental health better together.

In 2019, roughly 421 people that were reported lost there lives to suicide in Ireland.

There has been an epidemic in Ireland long before covid 19 and it has gone unnoticed.

I am therefore calling on our government as well as companies to make it mandatory that you have to have a proper suicide prevention training or mental health first aid before starting any job.

***An assessment prior to the course will be carried out by trainers to understand the workers own mental wellbeing and to make sure to cater to each group so that people doing the course are not triggered.***

There is a mental health first aid course delivered through Mental Health Ireland.

https://www.mhfaireland.ie/workplace?fbclid=IwAR1PCZi11aNcfwGyBygJrwvhHph5SOUo8qmkdF5QWWV9pzcp4bJcGVZpMoQ

This does NOT take away from the fact we need more specialists such as counsellors in schools and psychologists as these are the people the first responders will be sending the people that are struggling too.

I ask the government of Ireland to prevent any further suicides by passing this requirement into law.

Enough is enough.

I.E. this is also not a petition designed so that the government can wash there hands of 24hour services at A and Es and specialists which are badly needed in Ireland.