1 in 5 Australians will experience a mental illness

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) teaches people the skills to help someone who they’re concerned about.

Professional Organisers  come across a lot of stuff – and behind this stuff are often stories, big and small; and emotions, big and small.

Items might trigger a response, clutter might be the symptom of a mental health condition. We come across clients and family members suffering from anxiety, depression, hoarding disorder, OCD and a variety of other illnesses.

Understanding them and knowing how to respond and behave has given me a lot of confidence to continue working  in complex and often very emotional environments.

I feel more confident to respond to situations that might present themselves when working with a client in their home

Identify a mental health illness and/or crisis

• Be familiar with signs & symptoms
• How to approach someone and start a safe conversation
• Know the right thing to say
• Know how to minimise risk & not make it worse
• Take the right action
• A plan of action to help to respond

Mental health problems can affect anyone in the community and inaccurate and stigmatising attitudes towards people with mental illness are common. Many people lack the knowledge, skills, and confidence to support a friend, family member or co-worker experiencing a mental health problem.

Encouraging early help-seeking is one way to promote  mental health.

Mental health problems covered

• Depression
• Anxiety problems
• Psychosis
• Substance use problems

Mental health crises covered

• Suicidal thoughts and behaviours
• Non-suicidal self-injury
• Panic attacks
• Traumatic events
• Severe effects of alcohol or other drug use
• Sever psychotic states
• Aggressive behaviours