General Questions
What is WMHSA?
WMHSA stands for Workplace Mental Health & Safety Assessments. It is an initiative of the International Mental Health Infrastructures (IMHI) Group that provides practical resources for evaluating mental-health support and response arrangements.
Who should use WMHSA?
WMHSA is intended for employers, risk assessors, health and safety professionals, HR departments, occupational-health teams and other individuals responsible for organisational support and safety.
Is WMHSA free?
The published Support & Response assessment is publicly accessible through the WMHSA website.
Is WMHSA suitable outside conventional workplaces?
The assessment principles may be relevant to educational institutions, healthcare facilities and other organisations. However, the published document focuses on workers. Additional assessment or safeguarding requirements may apply to students, patients, visitors or other populations.
Who created WMHSA?
WMHSA is an initiative of the International Mental Health Infrastructures (IMHI) Group.
Assessment Questions
What does the Support & Response assessment cover?
It examines ten foreseeable situations involving access to mental-health support, immediate assistance, crisis intervention, post-incident support and continuing care.
How many questions are included?
The published assessment contains ten assessment items. Each item includes an adequacy test and a status classification.
What do A, P and U mean?
- A: Adequately Controlled.
- P: Partially Controlled.
- U: Uncontrolled.
These classifications describe the adequacy of controls for each foreseeable situation.
Who should conduct the assessment?
The assessment should be conducted by someone with sufficient knowledge of the organisation's activities, relevant risks and support arrangements. Health and safety personnel or competent assessors may be appropriate, with input from HR, occupational health and other relevant parties.
How long does an assessment take?
The time required depends on the organisation, available information and complexity of the arrangements. Reviewing ten questions may be relatively quick. Verifying the actual adequacy of controls may require additional investigation, consultation and evidence.
How often should the assessment be repeated?
The appropriate interval depends on the organisation's risks and applicable requirements. Reassessment should also occur when significant changes or new information indicate that existing findings may no longer be valid.
Can the assessment be completed online?
Yes. WMHSA provides an online quick assessment at: https://wmhsa.org/assess/
Does an adequate rating guarantee that no harm will occur?
No. Risk controls reduce or manage relevant risks; they do not guarantee that every adverse event will be prevented. An adequate rating must reflect the practical suitability of the arrangements at the time of assessment.
Support & Controls
Is an Employee Assistance Programme sufficient?
An EAP may adequately address some situations, particularly access to professional counselling and support. However, it does not automatically address every foreseeable need. For example, it may not provide immediate private self-stabilisation to someone unwilling or unable to contact another person.
What about Mental Health First Aiders?
Mental Health First Aiders can provide valuable initial human assistance. Their suitability depends on availability, accessibility and the circumstances involved. They may not fully address situations where a person cannot or does not wish to ask another person for help.
What are the three gaps highlighted by WMHSA?
The three gaps concern:
- People unwilling or unable to ask another person for help.
- Immediate stabilisation during acute distress where it occurs.
- Support while waiting for professional assistance.
These correspond to assessment items 4, 5 and 8.
Why are these gaps important?
They concern situations in which conventional support arrangements may be unavailable or inaccessible at the point of need. Assessing them separately helps determine whether additional controls are necessary.
Can different controls address the same gap?
Yes. The relevant question is whether a suitable and effective arrangement adequately addresses the foreseeable situation. The assessment identifies examples of applicable controls but does not establish that every organisation must use an identical solution.
What role does Second Aid play?
Second Aid provides immediate, private self-guided emotional stabilisation through a digital support system. It is identified in the WMHSA assessment as a relevant control for items 4, 5 and 8.
Does Second Aid replace professional support?
No. Second Aid provides an additional self-use support option. Professional counselling, occupational health, trained responders, crisis services and emergency assistance retain their distinct roles.
Does installing Second Aid automatically make an assessment adequate?
No. The organisation must still establish that the control is suitable, accessible and adequately addresses the relevant situation.
Law & Compliance
Are workplace mental-health risk assessments legally required?
Requirements depend on the jurisdiction. In the United Kingdom, employers have established duties to assess and address work-related stress risks. Other jurisdictions apply their own occupational health and safety frameworks.
Does completing WMHSA establish legal compliance?
No. WMHSA is a practical assessment resource. Compliance depends on the organisation's applicable legal duties and actual arrangements.
Does the availability of a new control change employer responsibilities?
The availability of practical and effective controls can be relevant to determining appropriate risk-management measures. Whether a particular control is legally required depends on the applicable law, risk and circumstances.
Does the law specifically require Second Aid?
The general laws discussed in this documentation do not name Second Aid as a universally mandatory product. They establish duties concerning health and safety risks and appropriate controls. Where a relevant risk requires control, organisations must consider suitable and effective measures under the applicable legal framework.
Can employers face legal action for inadequate mental-health safety arrangements?
Potentially. Failure to meet applicable health and safety obligations may lead to enforcement action or civil liability, depending on the jurisdiction and circumstances.
Is WMHSA recognised as a regulatory certification?
No. The published Support & Response assessment is not presented as an official regulatory certification scheme.
Scope & Limitations
Does WMHSA replace existing risk assessments?
No. Its Support & Response assessment is intended to complement broader psychosocial hazard, occupational safety, emergency-response and other assessments required by applicable law.
Does WMHSA provide clinical advice?
No. The assessment concerns organisational support and response arrangements. It does not diagnose conditions or prescribe treatment for individuals.
Does WMHSA assess the causes of workplace stress?
The current published assessment focuses primarily on support and response. Underlying psychosocial hazards, including harmful work organisation and conditions, should be assessed through appropriate complementary processes.
Does WMHSA cover emergencies?
Yes. Assessment item 7 concerns access to urgent professional crisis intervention. However, WMHSA does not replace the organisation's broader emergency-response planning.
Does WMHSA cover support following traumatic incidents?
Yes. Item 9 concerns immediate and subsequent psychological support following a traumatic or serious workplace incident.
Does WMHSA cover return-to-work support?
Yes. Item 10 concerns continuing support, assessment and workplace adjustments following mental-health-related absence or impairment.
Can WMHSA be used internationally?
The assessment principles may be used internationally. However, organisations should adapt their evaluation to local legal requirements, services and working conditions.