Mental health training course launches for senior execs and CEOs
Coinciding with R U OK Day today, the industry’s Mentally Healthy Change Group has launched a mental health first aid training course for senior executives and CEOs.
The recently-released Mentally Healthy survey revealed that only 23% of the industry believes mental health is a high priority in their workplace, and a tiny 6% feels their company is highly effective in addressing the mental health of its staff.
The research also demonstrated that the industry’s mental health has not improved since the inaugural 2018 study; 56% of the industry still shows symptoms of depression, and 52% symptoms of anxiety.
This new two-day course – led by PHD’s Chloe Hooper – aims to equip leaders with the knowledge and skills they need to recognise symptoms of mental ill-health, help colleagues experiencing it, and reduce stigma in their businesses.
“Many of us avoid asking others how they are for the fear of the response and not being able to say or do the right thing. The MHFA course will help give leaders the confidence to have those conversations and to know what to say if someone is not okay. Just like the standard first aid courses, it gives you the skills and knowledge to potentially save someone’s life.”
“The MHFA course will help give leaders the confidence to have those conversations and to know what to say if someone is not okay. Just like the standard first aid courses, it gives you the skills and knowledge to potentially save someone’s life,” said Nina Nyman, chief marketing officer at UnLtd and co-chair of the Mentally Healthy Change Group.
Hooper, who is the regional head of growth and marketing at PHD, has already trained more than 130 people in mental health first aid after offering the service for free last year.
Hooper will run the courses
“When we launched the first training courses last year, we were overwhelmed by the response – the courses filled up in a day,” she said.
“It’s fantastic that we can bring this course to our senior leaders this year to help create positive ripple effects across many organisations, especially at such a challenging time. Doing the course in small groups of other senior leaders will also give the participants a chance to openly share and learn from each other’s’ experiences.”
A raft of senior leaders have already signed up for the course, including Clemenger BBDO Melbourne’s CEO, Jim Gall.
“We lost a colleague last year in NZ to suicide and it was one of the most difficult, yet profound experiences I have ever been through as a leader,” he said.
“In these challenging times, mental health is not just a hygiene factor, it must be seen as an absolute business priority in balancing performance with empathy and cultural competency.”
Two courses will run, the first on 29 and 30 October, and the second on 5 and 6 November, for an administrative cost of $55. The course requirements includes 10 hours of online self-study, two 2.5 hour Zoom training sessions, and an online exam. Successful participants will receive mental health first aid certification.
“Given the times we’re living in, being able to recognise signs of mental illness and to offer the right support is more important than ever,” added PHD’s CEO, Mark Jarrett.
“This is a great practical way for the leaders in our industry to come together to tackle mental illness in our industry. I’m looking forward to learning more about the topic and I hope to see many of my fellow leaders on the course.”
The leaders who have already signed up include:
- Adrian Farouk, CEO of Digitas ANZ
- Andrew Little, CEO of DDB Group
- Chiquita King, managing director of Coffee Cocoa Gunpowder
- Chris Freel, CEO of UnLtd
- Laura Aldington, CEO of Host/Havas
- Jack Byrne, managing director of Hatched Media
- James Bayes, general manager ANZ of The Trade Desk
- Jim Gall, CEO of Clemenger BBDO Melbourne Group and CEO of Clemenger Group New Zealand
- Louie Skinner, managing director of Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness
- Margie Reid, CEO of Thinkerbell
- Mark Jarrett, CEO of PHD
- Melinda Geertz, CEO of Leo Burnett
- Melissa Fein, CEO of Initiative
- Paul Sigaloff, managing director ANZ of Verizon Media
- Peter Butler, managing director of Spark Foundry
- Skye Lambley, group managing director of HerdMSL
- Stephen McArdle, CEO of BMF
- Simone Gupta, CEO of One Green Bean.
If you or someone you care about needs support, please contact:
Lifeline 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467
MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78
Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
Brittney Rigby was Mumbrella's deputy managing editor - news and analysis. She left Mumbrella in April 2021.
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topics
Chloe Hooper
Jim Gall
Mark Jarrett
mental health
Mental Health First Aid
Mentally Healthy Change Group
Mentally Healthy survey
Nina Nyman
PHD
R U OK? Day
UnLtd
Any plans for the future so we can include more leaders?
Clearly there’s a demand.
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