Suicide awareness training for Cook Street staff

Mental health awareness training has been underway over the past eight months at Auckland’s busy Cook Street store, which is aiming to become the first PlaceMakers store in the country to achieve MATES in Construction accreditation

PlaceMakers’ involvement with MATES in Construction was prompted by a desire to support its customers after reports flagged construction as a high-risk industry for suicides.

A Site Safe and BRANZ-funded report in 2019 portrayed the true scale of the issue and proved a catalyst for many in the industry to find ways to address it, including the founding of MATES in Construction.

MATES CEO Victoria McArthur said the concept originated in Australia in 2008 and is based on a community development model of continual improvement.

“Transitioning across the ditch, the programme has been refined and adapted to our own unique Kiwi culture,” McArthur said. “Its four pillars include research, raising awareness, building strength on sites and providing connection to help.”

McArthur said MATES has a goal of training 20-30,000 workers throughout New Zealand each year across three levels – building awareness, building capacity and building the ability to connect into help.

“The New Zealand construction industry is made up of more than 300,000 workers, so reaching everyone is no small feat, but with the help of partners such as the PlaceMakers Foundation, we are working together to reach into our communities and connect with as many as possible.”

On the shop floor

Raman Lee, a field officer for MATES, who is leading the training with the busy Cook Street PlaceMakers store, told Under Construction the store is “already on the home straight in achieving its training goals and will very likely become the first MATES training-accredited branch of PlaceMakers”.

Accreditation means all staff have completed General Awareness Training (GAT), which introduces workers to the nature of the problem and provides practical guidance as to how they can assist. Employees attend the programme during the working day.

In addition to this, some staff have completed an additional four hours of training to become Connectors, which means they are trained to help keep someone in crisis safe, while at the same time connecting them with professional help. Ideally, 5% of staff would be Connectors.

Lee said Cook Street store manager Justin Curry “is a great advocate for MATES”.

He and 33 staff have completed GAT training, four of whom are also Connectors. Curry, his four Connectors and other staff will go on to complete the next level of training – Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training – which equips individuals to develop safe plans for workers at critical risk.

Curry said MATES training reminds his team “we all have a part to play in identifying and helping our fellow workmates and customers through particularly trying times”.

“Going through lockdowns and various levels of Covid management has highlighted a need for us all to recognise that sometimes we are not okay, and it’s okay to ask for help, even if it’s just through talking with your workmates or family,” said Curry.

“Learning how to look for the signs that someone is struggling and ultimately knowing what to say will help immensely. Our account managers form such close relationships with our customers, especially small residential builders. This training equips them with the skills required to listen, assess and provide a connection to help if required.”

Lee and MATES field officer Berhampore Peleti, who has also been helping with training at Cook Street, will soon embark on a road trip from Wellington to Hawera, visiting and setting up training at every PlaceMakers branch in between.  The rest of the MATES team are also out in their own areas across the country doing the same, so expect a visit from your ‘mates’ very soon.