Growing acceptance of the need to provide mental health support for business aviation industry professionals was exemplified earlier this month by MedAire’s initiative to launch a wellbeing services offering. The Talk to a Peer service, which is being provided in partnership with risk management and workplace well-being group OdiliaClark, is particularly intended to help flight crewmembers before psychological pressures escalate to the point of being harmful or potentially dangerous.
“There is such a stigma around mental health, partly because the [pilot] licensing rules are so strict, and so we need to destigmatize this type of help,” said Peter Whitten, Talk to a Peer’s sales director. “The key is early intervention before things become a major problem, and we want to provide a listening ear to get help to those who need it.”
In the wake of the German Wings incident in 2015, when the copilot deliberately crashed an airliner into the Alps while the pilot left the flight deck to use the restroom, EASA has required carriers to provide peer support. Since then, several leading U.S. airlines—including American, United, and Southwest—have implemented mental health programs.
Many companies provide support through employee assistance programs, but MedAire is aiming to provide a service that involves support from trained peers with a close understanding of the aviation workplace. Talk to a Peer will be available to dispatchers and other members of operational teams, in addition to the flight crew.
Whitten, who also flies a widebody airliner for a major airline, explained that the service depends on establishing a pool of peer-support volunteers who can be contacted when help is needed. He himself once received support through the program when his father was killed in a car accident while he was far from home for a scheduled flight.
The volunteers are current or former aviation professionals who receive training in areas such as active listening, resilience-building, and empathy. In most cases, they would be from a different company, but those seeking help can opt to speak to a direct colleague or at least someone from within their own organization.
While confidentiality is a key aspect of the support offered through Talk to a Peer, Whitten told AIN that some “red flag behaviors” might require an immediate response. “If someone is making threats, everyone is required to escalate [the case], but that is exceptionally rare.”
Talk to a Peer will allocate someone based on the circumstances surrounding the individual needing help. Employees can request help for themselves or assist a colleague to request help via a secure and confidential platform operated by MedAire on a 24/7 basis.
OdiliaClark helps MedAire and its customers get the program up and running, which Whitten said involves building trust in the organization. After “scrubbing” data from support incidents to remove personal details, it provides feedback to participating companies with a view to making changes that could support good mental health among employees.
“It might result in things like the communications strategy getting looked at,” said Whitten. “People see peer support as totally reactive, which it has to be, but we also want to try to improve the situation going forward.”
This week at EBACE, OdiliaClark staff will be at the MedAire exhibit to discuss the Talk to a Peer program with show attendees. The new service is being offered alongside MedAire’s existing medical and safety support services for aircraft operators worldwide.