Cannes in Cairns revellers at the ready, we’ve got the low down on the MOOD x Mental Health First Aid Course taking place at this year’s Cannes in Cairns.
The industry-first course will see attendees certified as mental health first aiders, to help colleagues manage their mental health. Chloe Hooper, the founder of Bare Feat (pictured centre), will be leading the classes on the ground in Tropical North Queensland in partnership with UnLtd’s MOOD tea.
What’s more, MOOD, Hooper and the Cannes in Cairns team are attempting to set the world record for the most staff given mental health first aid training at a single event!
Book your Cannes in Cairns ticket now and sign up for the MOOD x Mental Health First Aid Course!
Hooper caught up with Cannes in Cairns Content Director Pippa Chambers to explain all.
Pippa Chambers: What is the MOOD x Mental Health First Aid Course?
Chloe Hooper: The MOOD x Mental Health First Aid course allows you to upskill yourself, whilst also supporting youth mental health.
Most workplaces have physical first aiders, so why wouldn’t we invest in Mental Health First Aiders? This accreditation, which is recognised within Australia, allows attendees to learn the skills to recognise and respond to someone experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis until professional help is received or the crisis is resolved.
PC: Why should participants at Cannes in Cairns become Standard Mental Health First Aiders during the show?
CH: Completing the course you will walk away with a new skill and a greater understanding of how you can look after people’s mental health around you. We often ask people, ‘R U OK?’, but this course gives you the confidence and know-how to have those conversations. It gives you not only time for reflection but having a deeper understanding of what may happen in someone’s life makes you a better leader overall. People go to Cannes in Cairns to meet new people within the industry, be inspired, and learn something new — this course has it all.
PC: If attendees take this course at Cannes in Cairns what will they be accredited as?
CH: They will be a Mental Health First Aider, equipped to spot the signs of mental ill health, know how to respond and where to refer for help. This accreditation is an Australian certification.
PC: Where exactly is the course taking place?
CH: At the same venue as the Cannes in Cairns sessions — The Cairns Convention Centre.
PC: Does this mean missing Cannes in Cairns sessions?
CH: It is part of the whole experience! Completing the course is an opportunity to build meaningful connections, get away from the hustle, and have a conversation that could change a life. You will create deeper relationships with people from completing the course together than you will on any afterparty dancefloor, plus you will bring valuable skills back into your workplace to better support the people around you.
PC: What’s the personal benefit of becoming a mental health first aider?
CH: I’m going to let a testimonial from my good friend Richard Hunwick answer this one:
“Chloe put a call out to the industry to entice male leaders to qualify as Mental Health First Aiders, (the course had skewed to be predominantly female). I was part of a senior group that joined the course. I have attended many training sessions over my career, but this one was different, and powerful. Chloe created a safe space for us to open up and talk, the vulnerability of everyone who attended was something that has stayed with me. The learnings from our sessions impacted my understanding and my leadership style, and empowered positive change in terms of my approach to mental health – Chloe provided us with a tangible roadmap for action, she helped us learn that you can help, you can make a difference.”
PC: What about the benefit to the employer?
CH: We have seen a rise in legislation calling for organisations to invest in their people’s mental health and wellbeing. But it goes beyond that. Knowing that people are trained in the business to support mental health creates peace of mind for leaders. In the same way, we want to know we have physical first aiders on hand; we need mental health first aiders – you never know when you will need them. Mental health first aid courses have an incredible impact on culture.
PC: How will being a mental health first-aider benefit the wider industry?
CH: We have upskilled around 2,000 people in the industry, helping move the dial towards a mentally healthy sector. The more we can give people the skills they need to be able to recognise and help those who are facing mental health challenges, the more mentally healthy our industry will be. People need to feel equipped to be able to confidently and safely have challenging conversations.
PC: How do people sign up and pay to do the course?
CH: Click here!
PC: Then what?
CH: Once you’ve locked in your ticket, the MOOD team will reach out to lock in your time. There are four session times to choose from — first in, best dressed.
You must attend two training sessions. The first half of the sessions will be run on Tuesday 4 and the second half of the training run on Wednesday 5 June. They are both two-and-a-half hours each.
The session times are as below and are the same on both days:
8:00am -10:30am
10:30am – 1:00pm
1:00pm – 3:30pm
3:30pm – 6:00pm
PC: Once signed up and paid, what do people need to do before Cannes in Cairnsin preparation?
CH: Each attendee is required to do five hours of online learning before they attend the in-person sessions at Cannes in Cairns. The sessions are interactive and are based on the content you read in the eLearning sections.
PC: Why are you teaching the course and why are you so passionate about it?
CH: The Mentally Healthy 2022 survey shows that almost half of our industry (46 per cent), is displaying mild to severe symptoms of depression. If we don’t give people access to these practical skills, how can we expect them to know how to help?
I’ve been in the media industry for over a decade and have experienced first-hand the impact that the pressures of this industry can have on an individual. I want to ensure people feel equipped to help those around them and spot the signs and symptoms so that we can help create a more mentally healthy industry and smash the stigma that is still present around mental health. My experience in the industry allows me to deliver the course in a way that is tailored to the unique challenges our industry faces so that each attendee can walk away feeling confident on how to have safe conversations when they spot the signs of mental ill health.
PC: What is the connection with MOOD?
CH: MOOD was created and marketed in conjunction with the media, marketing and creative industry. With the unique challenges our industry faces, MOOD knew there was a growing need for support in the space of mental health. That’s why MOOD partnered with Bare Feat to upskill the industry, helping to create more mentally healthy environments.
As a part of the training program, participants will also receive MOOD tea, so they can sip whilst upskilling – knowing that they’re helping to support young people’s mental health too.
PC: Why should the industry care about setting a record for the most staff given mental health first aid training at a single event?
CH: Why not?! It’s a bold move for Cannes in Cairns to aim to set the record, upskilling more people with the skills they need to look out for those around them. The partnership for MOOD makes this training double good, upskill yourself, all whilst helping to support young people too. We’re on a mission to upskill as many people as we can this year and aim to go bigger and better the year after.
