Mental Health

at RPTU

The Importance of Mental Health in the Workplace

The world of work has changed very rapidly and dramatically in recent years. This trend was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting abrupt lockdown, which led to a shift to remote work. Added to this are stressful developments such as the war in Ukraine, rising energy prices, the climate crisis, and much more. With the merger to form RPTU, employees at both locations have faced—and continue to face—further major challenges.

Within a year, more than one in four adults in Germany meets the criteria for a mental health condition at least once. For these nearly 18 million people affected and those close to them, mental illness is associated with substantial stress and often leads to serious limitations, including in social and professional contexts.

Over 40% of the German population experiences a mental disorder requiring treatment at least once in their lifetime. This means that almost everyone knows people in their personal circle who suffer from mental health issues or have been affected by them in the past.

To counteract all these challenges, it is essential to view mental and physical health as a single entity and to place greater emphasis on the topic of mental health. It is important to recognize mental health issues in family members, friends, or coworkers, to reach out to them, and to offer help. After all, the sooner those affected receive professional help, the greater their chances of a relatively rapid recovery.

Find Professional Help

Emergency Assistance

Emergency situations: individuals posing an acute danger to themselves or others (i.e., those who have decided to end their own lives or who, due to their psychological distress, become aggressive or threatening toward others).

Kaiserslautern

  • Pfalzklinikum Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Kaiserslautern
    Tel.: +49 (0)631 5349-0 (Available 24/7)
    Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 64
    67655 Kaiserslautern
    For emergencies involving mental health crises
  • Westpfalzklinikum
    Central Outpatient Clinic/Emergency Room
    Tel.: +49 (0)631 203-1240 (Available 24/7, day and night)
    For acute situations.

Landau

  • Pfalzklinikum Adult Psychiatry:
    In emergencies or acute situations: individuals posing an acute danger to themselves or others (i.e., those who have decided to end their own lives or who, due to their mental distress, become aggressive or threatening toward others).
    Tel. +49 (0)6349 900-2020 (available 24/7, day and night)
Additional contact information

Kaiserslautern

  • Pfalzklinikum: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Kaiserslautern
    Day Clinic:
    Tel.: +49 (0)631 36139885
    Schedule an informational consultation between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. You need a doctor’s referral (pre-hospitalization treatment).
    Grüner Graben 24
    67655 Kaiserslautern
    www.pfalzklinikum.de/locations/kaiserslautern/day-clinic-for-adults
    A wide range of mental health conditions for which outpatient therapy (psychotherapy once a week) is insufficient, but inpatient treatment (hospitalization) is not (or no longer) necessary. The individual must be able to confront their own mental health issues and work through them in a therapeutic process.
  • Pfalzklinikum: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Kaiserslautern
    Inpatient Treatment:
    Tel.: +49 (0)631 5349-0
    If experiencing severe psychological distress, contact us to schedule a “clearing consultation.” During this consultation, a psychologist or physician will work with the patient to determine whether inpatient treatment is indicated or if other measures are recommended. If inpatient treatment is indicated, an admission appointment will be scheduled, and the treatment plan will be developed jointly. Please bring a current referral from your primary care physician to the assessment consultation.
  • Westpfalzklinikum: Department of Psychosomatics
    Tel.: +49 (0)631 203-2734 | Tel.: +49 (0)631 203-2770
    psyso[at]westpfalz-klinikum.de
    Day Clinic: Schedule an appointment for an informational consultation. You will need a doctor’s referral. A wide range of mental health conditions for which outpatient therapy (psychotherapy once a week) is insufficient, but inpatient treatment (hospitalization) is not (or no longer) necessary. The individual must be able to confront their own mental health issues and work through them in a therapeutic process.
    Inpatient Treatment: for severe psychological distress. Please bring a current referral from your primary care physician to your first appointment.

Landau

  • WIPP Continuing Education Program in Psychological Psychotherapy at RPTU in Landau
    Psychotherapy:
    Tel.: +49 (0)6341-280356-00 (Mon–Thu 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., Fri 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM)
    Ostbahnstraße 10
    76829 Landau
    Treatment primarily takes the form of individual sessions. In addition, group therapy sessions are offered on specific topics (e.g., social skills training, progressive muscle relaxation). The treatment method is behavioral therapy. When calling, please mention that you are an RPTU employee or student.
  • Pfalzklinikum
    Day Clinic for Adults:
    Tel.: +49 (0)6341 9206-0 (Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.)
    Nordring 9
    76829 Landau
    The treatment options are suitable for a wide range of mental health conditions where outpatient treatment (e.g., weekly psychotherapy) is insufficient, but inpatient treatment is not—or is no longer—necessary. A stable living situation and the ability to travel independently between the clinic and home are important for treatment.
  • MVZ Pfalzklinikum Medical Care Center
    Outpatient Treatment: Paul-von-Denis-Straße Location
    Tel.: +49 (0)6341 86079 (8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., 2:00 PM – 7:00 AM)
    Paul-von-Denis-Straße 2a
    76829 Landau
    Psychiatry, medical evaluation, and psychotherapy. If experiencing severe psychological distress, please contact us to schedule an initial consultation. During this consultation, a psychologist or physician will work with the patient to determine which treatment is appropriate or whether other measures are recommended.
  • MVZ Pfalzklinikum Medical Care Center
    Psychotherapy: Landau-Nordringlocation
    Tel.: +49 (0)6341 920644 (Tue 11:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m., Thu 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM)
    Nordring 9
    76829 Landau
    If you are experiencing severe psychological distress, please contact us to schedule an initial consultation. During this consultation, a psychologist or physician will work with you to determine which treatment is appropriate or whether other measures are recommended.
  • Pfalzklinikum: Regional Psychosomatic Center of the Southern Palatinate
    Inpatient treatment:
    Tel.: +49 (0)6341 9206 40 (Mon, Tue, and Fri 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Thu 10:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.)
    Nordring 9
    76829 Landau
    This service is intended for adults with acute mental health issues or who are experiencing a mental health crisis and have been referred for inpatient treatment by their primary care physician.

Your family doctor or neurologist:

Special Note:
Your family doctor is always your first point of contact and will help you assess your situation and determine the next steps. Be sure to inform your family doctor about your situation and the steps you plan to take. You will usually need a referral for treatment at a clinic or for psychotherapy. If necessary, your family doctor can also call clinics and have you placed on a waiting list.

For counseling sessions (during difficult life situations) to bridge the gap until therapy begins

Kaiserslautern

  • MVZ Pfalzklinikum GmbH Kaiserslautern (Medical Care Center)
    Tel.: +49 (0)631 31090919
    Grüner Graben 24
    67655 Kaiserslautern
    Psychological Counseling:
    Psychological counseling can address practical life issues, such as family problems or workplace issues. Counseling is not psychotherapy. In the best-case scenario, counseling can help avoid the need for therapy or bridge the gap until therapy begins. Difference from psychotherapy: Only psychotherapy treats problems involving symptoms of mental illness, such as those associated with depression.
  • Social Psychiatric Service (Public Health Department)
    Tel.: +49 (0)631 7105-520
    Pfaffstr. 40
    67655 Kaiserslautern
    Counseling and support services for people with mental health conditions in the city and district of Kaiserslautern
  • Caritas Center Kaiserslautern
    Tel.: 0631 36120-0
    Edith-Stein-Haus Engelsgasse 1
    67657 Kaiserslautern
    Parenting, marriage, and life counseling
  • Diakonie Pfalz
    Tel.: +49 (0)631 362509-10
    Stiftsstraße 2
    67655 Kaiserslautern
    Social and Life Counseling, including pregnancy counseling, conflict counseling during pregnancy, and counseling on health retreats and recuperation
  • Diakonie Pfalz
    Tel.: +49 (0)631 72209
    Pirmasenser Straße 82
    67655 Kaiserslautern
    Parenting and family counseling, marriage, couples, and life counseling

Landau

  • Social Psychiatric Service (Public Health Department)
    Tel. +49 (0)6341 940-621 (8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)
    Southern Weinstraße District Administration
    Health Department
    Klaus-von-Klitzing-Straße 2
    76829 Landau in der Pfalz
    Counseling and support services for people with mental health conditions in the city and district of Landau
  • Caritas Center Landau – Social Counseling
    Tel.: +49 (0)63419355-0
    Königstraße 39/41
    76829 Landau
    Parenting, marriage, and life counseling: open counseling and support services for anyone facing difficult life situations.
  • Diakonisches Werk Pfalz
    Tel.: +49 (0)6341 4826
    Westring 3a
    76829 Landau
    Social and life counseling, pregnancy counseling

For all RPTU employees (both locations)

Kaiserslautern

Non-Denominational Counseling Service of the Kaiserslautern University Chaplaincy

Landau

  • Central Equal Opportunity Officer
    Prof. Dr. Francesca Vidal
    Tel.: +49 (0)6341 280 32770
    Email: francesca.vidal[at]rptu.de
  • Representative for Students with Severe Disabilities
    Christina Krämer
    Tel.: +49 (0)6341 280 31512
    Email: c.kraemer[at]rptu.de

Non-Denominational Counseling by the Landau University Chaplaincy

Kaiserslautern

  • Pfalzklinikum: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Kaiserslautern. Individual counseling on addiction-specific treatment options:
    . To schedule an open consultation:
    Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 8:30–9:00 a.m.
    Referral required from a primary care physician or specialist (psychiatry or neurology)
    Tel.: +49 (0)631 5349 2227
  • Diakonie Pfalz Addiction Counseling Center
    Tel.: +49 (0)631 72209
    Pirmasenser Straße 82
    67655 Kaiserslautern
  • Caritas Addiction Counseling
    Tel.: +49 (0)631 36120-222
    Caritas Center Kaiserslautern
    Edith-Stein-Haus
    Engelsgasse 1
    67657 Kaiserslautern

Landau

  • Diakonie Pfalz Addiction Counseling Center Tel.: +49 (0)6341-9952670 Reiterstraße 19 76829 Landau

Both locations

Kaiserslautern

  • Medication Assessment
    Pfalzklinikum: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Kaiserslautern
    Tel.: +49 (0)631 5349-0

    Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic: To assess the need for psychiatric medication, please schedule an outpatient appointment.
    A referral from your primary care physician is required.
    NO psychotherapeutic treatment is available here.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)

What is MHFA?

Everyone should learn basic first aid for physical illnesses and accidents at some point in their lives, usually at a young age. However, very few people learn how to respond to a mental health crisis or emergency. The MHFA mental health first aid courses were developed based on the model for first aid for physical illnesses and train laypeople to become mental health first aiders in 12 hours.

The program was developed 25 years ago in Australia and is now actively implemented in over 50 countries. There are over 8 million certified first responders worldwide, and the number is growing. This evidence-based, licensed, nonprofit program—which is actively used around the world—is implemented in Germany under the auspices of the Central Institute for Mental Health in Mannheim in partnership with the Beisheim Foundation. Only one institution per country can obtain the corresponding license. In addition to theoretical instruction, participants learn specific first-aid measures for emerging mental health problems and acute mental health crises, which are reinforced through practical exercises.

Objectives of the MHFA Training

The Mental Health First Aid training aims to empower participants to provide targeted support and first aid to people who are in a mental health situation—or a physical situation triggered by mental health factors—where they are in need of help, and who currently require urgent mental health support or are experiencing a mental health crisis or an exceptionally stressful situation

The course provides basic knowledge about mental health and mental illnesses, reduces stigmatizing behavior, and builds participants’ own competencies.As with physical first aid, MHFA first responders learn how to recognize mental health conditions, how to interact with the affected person, and what to do in each specific situation. The course begins by covering basic knowledge about mental health conditions. Specific first-aid measures are then demonstrated and reinforced through practical exercises.

External Consulting

in cases of bullying, psychological stress, and workplace conflicts

In addition to the already established points of contact for counseling and support (in particular, company physicians, the grievance office, the staff council, the equal opportunity officer, representatives for employees with severe disabilities, addiction counseling services, and the workplace health management program), another internal support service specifically for mental health challenges has been established through “Mental Health First Responders” (MHFA), which is being continuously expanded.

All employees of the RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau now have the option of contacting an external, qualified counseling service in the event of mental health challenges in the workplace. The university has entered into a framework agreement with the Evangelical Center for Education and Society, which allows you to access professional counseling from trained specialists with several years of experience—including in the higher education sector—should the need arise. Counseling services are provided regardless of religious affiliation, worldview, or nationality. It ensures confidentiality and complies with all data protection regulations. For more information, see “Counseling for Bullying, Mental Stress, and Workplace Conflicts—Center for Education and Society.” What is the best course of action if you need help? You generally have two options:

  1. Contact the management of the BGM, Department 6. They will put you in touch with the external counseling center.
  2. You can contact the external counseling center directly. Phone: +49 (0)631 3642 131, Email: beratungsarbeit[at]evkirchepfalz.de (for more information, click the link at the bottom of the page).

Counseling can take place in person, by phone, or via online meetings. With the exception of any travel expenses, the costs for counseling services are covered centrally by the BGM. The usual regulations governing work and travel expenses apply to official business trips and travel in this context.

Documents and Forms

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

An MHFA is not a professional who has undergone years of training! Therefore, they do NOT provide psychological counseling, psychotherapy, or anything similar. MHFAs serve as direct points of contact in difficult, stressful situations and crises. In addition to listening and simply “being there,” one of the most important aspects of this role is that first responders specifically encourage those affected to seek professional support, point out the options and avenues for further assistance, and, if necessary, refer them to the appropriate services.

This is done only in consultation with and with the express consent of the affected person. All conversations are treated as strictly confidential, and no information is shared with outside parties. In acute situations where there is a risk of harm to oneself or others (suicide risk), emergency services should always be contacted, or the affected person should be taken to the hospital’s emergency department.

Fundamentally, the idea behind MHFA is to train as many people as possible and thereby spread this knowledge widely throughout society. At RPTU, the following target groups are being prioritized initially:

  • Staff in advisory roles (program managers, the Registrar’s Office, the Staff Council, and many others)
  • Staff in interface roles with managerial responsibilities (department, lab, team, or group leaders, and many others)
  • Staff members in liaison roles due to their networking responsibilities (e.g., secretariats, administrative offices, specific areas of responsibility, and many more)
  • Other decisions on a case-by-case basis

For Employees
For the Examinations Office, Program Managers, Center for Teacher Education, and Central Student Counseling
Project Management