Mental Health Training

Mental Health Champion Network

The role of mental health first aider (MHFA) is often a voluntary one. Individuals take on the role through their own good-will, passion for caring and experiences with their own personal battles amongst other reasons, the list goes on...

Employers are happy to send staff on training courses, it looks good for the business and it ticks HSE boxes for Mental Health risk assessments. But, once qualified, it is very rare that these individuals are supported in the role with their own health and wellbeing, or with any sort of CPD. Often left to their own devices in what can be an emotionally draining and complex role with the potential for traumatic and distressing situations.

Reasons for this may include:

•     Lack of understanding of the role.
•     Financial burdens of sourcing and providing CPD or support (especially SME's).
•     Difficulty knowing what to provide.
•     Lack of time to put support in place.

This can lead to problems with the health and wellbeing of the individual mental health first aider (MHFA), which can lead to the individual shying away from the role or not advertising the role and thus affects the wider team. These individuals NEED support, CPD and relief, not only for the benefit of their workplace and colleagues, but for their own wellbeing. At Co-Action Health we understand that health and wellbeing can be confusing and knowing what sort of services and support to provide can be tough. Not everyone is an expert! We want to take the responsibility for supporting your MHFA’s. We want to give back to the Mental Health First Aiders, because their work deserves it. “You don’t pay these individuals to take on the role, give them something in return”.

Clear Quality are working with the Mental Health Champion Network to offer support to Mental Health First Aiders and to Employers on how to manage Mental Health in the workplace. This includes:

•     Mental Health Network
•     Mental Health First Aider course
•     Mental Health Awareness course
•     Mental Health First Aider (Train the Trainer) course

The Mental Health Network: Quarterly network group for mental health first aiders from different businesses, half day networking session over coffee/lunch.

•     Open discussion to share common themes or difficulties / any queries people may have.
•     Small group workshops: sharing best practice, identifing strategies and activities.
•     Panel/guest speakers.
•     Wellbeing activity at every network.

Cost approximately: £20 per month

Mental Health First Aider course:

Having a qualified Mental Health First Aider in the workplace provides a point of contact for an employee who is experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress. This interaction could range from having an initial conversation through to supporting the individual to get appropriate help. In a crisis, Mental Health First Aiders can spot the signs of mental ill health and are valuable in providing early support for someone who may be developing a mental health issue. This is a 2 day course that will cover the following topics:

•     Mental health awareness
•     Early warning signs
•     How to get help
•     Specific mental health conditions
•     Mental health action plan
•     How to carry out a risk assessment when supporting an individual
•     Recognising when someone is in crisis
•     Recognising stress and how to support someone who may be experiencing stress
•     Key skills to support an individual with poor mental health
•     Overview of key legislation relevant to mental health
•     Roles and responsibilities of a Mental health First Aider and Responder
•     Key attributes and behaviours of a Mental Health First Aider

Mental Health Awareness course:

This course is for everyone in all levels of the business, this gameification style course gets everyone thinking about Mental Health and how we respond to situations can relfect on others. In this course you will work in teams to navigate your way through a day at work, interacting with individuals and events that occur and making decisions on how to deal with each situation. This is a 1 day course that will cover the following topics:

•     Sleeping disorders
•     Stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD
•     Emotional wellbeing
•     Nutrition and eating disorders
•     Substance abuse

Mental Health First Aider (Train the Trainer) course:

Having a qualified Mental Health First Aider in the workplace provides a point of contact for an employee who is experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress. This interaction could range from having an initial conversation through to supporting the individual to get appropriate help. In a crisis, Mental Health First Aiders can spot the signs of mental ill health and are valuable in providing early support for someone who may be developing a mental health issue. Larger companies may look to train someone up to be able to teach Mental Health First Aid or Mental Health Awareness to their wider employees, this course will not only give them the knowledge they need to deliver Mental Health First Aiders but also to train others. This is a 3 day course that will cover the following topics:

•     Mental health awareness
•     Early warning signs
•     How to get help
•     Specific mental health conditions
•     Training skills
•     Communication skills

All of our courses are offered both at public venues and incompany at your premises. Please get in contact for more details on dates, locations and costs of our Mental Health Courses or to join the Mental Health Network.