Partnership to provide mental health first aid training for county employees

The last two years and its many challenges have caused a deterioration in employees’ mental health throughout government, impacting job dissatisfaction and increasing turnover. A recent study by Mission Square Research Institute found public service employees are increasingly feeling stressed (44 percent), burned out (42 percent) and anxious (39 percent).

The findings mirror a broader trend that’s happening across the workforce, according to Gallup.

“The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 41.5 percent of U.S. adults exhibited symptoms of anxiety or depression in early 2021. Globally, seven in 10 people report that they are struggling or suffering,” according to a report from Gallup, citing its own findings.

A collaboration between the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and the National Association of Counties seeks to provide assistance to the 3.6 million or so county employees in the United States, who account for around 1 percent of the total population.

The partnership will make available Mental Health First Aid training—a skills-based approach that teaches participants how to identify, understand and respond to mental health and substance abuse challenges—to county employees. 

“Most of us know how to help if we see someone having a medical emergency—for example, we’d start CPR, or at the very least, call 911. But too few know how to respond if we see someone having a panic attack or if we are concerned that a family member, friend or coworker might be showing signs of mental health and substance use challenges,” said Matthew Chase, executive director of the counties association. “Mental Health First Aid training will provide county employees with tools to intervene appropriately in a mental health crisis.”  

The mental health first aid approach aims to improve early recognition among colleagues within the work environment, and to encourage help-seeking behavior sooner than later. The council for wellbeing and county organization partnership is intended to support public service employees facing mental health challenges, teach colleagues how to respond to friends and coworkers in crisis, and to create a framework that stigmatizes mental health and substance abuse challenges in general.

“So many people are struggling right now, and we have the ability to ensure mental wellbeing and recovery is a reality for everyone, starting with the backbone of local government and programming—county employees,” said Chuck Ingoglia, president and CEO of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.