First Aid for Mental Health
Reduce stigma and increase support for mental health in your communityWe all have mental health. Just as we all have physical health, which can be good, or bad, depending on how we are in the moment, our mental health can vary as we move through life.
Struggling with mental health shouldn’t be a source of shame. Research suggests that one in four of us will experience a challenge to our mental health at some point in our lives. Post pandemic, that figure might be even higher as we continue to try to adapt to life in the shadow of pandemic trauma.
So how can we support our friends, family, and colleagues?
How can we work together to end the shame and stigma that accompanies mental health struggles?
Understanding, knowledge and empathy can help!
Learn about mental health, and equip yourself to support yourself and others
The best way to overcome the fear, shame and stigma that still surrounds mental ill health is by learning more about it, and learning how to support yourself and those around you.
By learning how to recognise the signs, how to have compassionate conversations around mental health, and where to access support, you can become a better ally to those you care about, and better care for yourself.
We can all be affected by poor mental health. In an increasingly difficult world, the chances are ever increasing that you are going to encounter it on a daily basis.
Start your journey to better understanding and let’s break the stigma of mental ill health, one conversation at a time!
What is First Aid for Mental Health?
Awareness Raising
There have been many misunderstandings, stereotypes and harmful representations of mental illness throughout our history. This is given rise to fear and stigma about mental illness, and has led to a lot of shame around mental health that we don’t see with physical health.
But mental health is a part of health, and something that applies to us all. The more we can understand mental health, how it can impact people, and how people live with it, the more we can see mental health with more empathy and compassion.
Support and signposting
Often, we can feel powerless when someone we love is struggling with their mental health. This can be a real barrier to us feeling able to even try, as we can be too scared to ‘say something wrong’, and so not say anything at all.
First Aid for Mental Health will empower you to be able to better support them, by teaching you how to develop a First Aid for Mental Health action plan, giving you guidance for support and signposting those close to you when they need help.
Support in the workplace
Mental health problems cost business billions each year through sickness, low morale and poor productivity. Being able to support your employees with better mental health resources will allow them to work better and feel more valued in their jobs
FAA Award in Awareness of First Aid for Mental Health
Level 1 RQF- Recognise a range of mental health conditions
- Learn how to start a compassionate conversation
- Know how and when to signpost to other support and resources
- Know how to recognise and manage stress
- Learn about the support and therapy provided by professional healthcare providers
- Understand the impact of substance abuse
- Learn about the first aid action plan for mental health and put it in place
- Know how to implement a positive mental health culture in the workplace
- Become qualified to offer First Aid for Mental Health
- Learners will not diagnose or treat mental health conditions as this can only be carried out by healthcare professionals but will gain the knowledge to identify when a person may have a condition and know where they can go to get help
FAA Award in First Aid for Mental Health
Level 2 RQF- Recognise a range of mental health conditions
- Learn how to start a compassionate conversation
- Know how and when to signpost to other support and resources
- Know how to recognise and manage stress
- Learn about the support/therapy provided by professional healthcare providers
- Understand the impact of substance abuse
- Learn about the first aid action plan for mental health and put it in place
- Know how to implement a positive mental health culture in the workplace
- Become qualified to offer First Aid for Mental Health
- Learners will not diagnose or treat mental health conditions as this can only be carried out by healthcare professionals but will gain the knowledge to identify when a person may have a condition and know where they can go to get help
FAA Award in Supervising First Aid for Mental Health
Level 3 RQF- Recognise a range of mental health conditions
- Learn how to start a compassionate conversation
- Know how and when to signpost to other support and resources
- Know how to recognise and manage stress
- Learn about the support/therapy provided by professional healthcare providers
- Understand the impact of substance abuse
- Learn about the first aid action plan for mental health and put it in place
- Know how to implement a positive mental health culture in the workplace
- Become qualified to offer First Aid for Mental Health
- Learners will not diagnose or treat mental health conditions as this can only be carried out by healthcare professionals but will gain the knowledge to identify when a person may have a condition and know where they can go to get help
Do you want to bring this training into your organisation?
Get in touch for a bespoke course to meet your business needs
About your Trainer
As the daughter of two teachers, I was probably born to teach. And as someone who has struggled with my own mental health, I am certain I was born to teach people to be well.
I am a trained primary school, adult education and Yoga teacher, as well as an accredited First Aid for Mental Health instructor with Nuco Training. I have recently trained to be a recovery coach, helping people manage life in recovery from addiction, and I am learning more about trauma and the impacts of trauma on all we do in life. I have experienced plenty of trauma in my life, and have lived experience of addiction, depression, bereavement, domestic abuse, sexual assault, stress and anxiety. I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2019, at 46 years of age, and understand the challenges undiagnosed struggles can cause.
I am passionate about helping people to create a life of sustainable wellbeing, and improving their relationship with their mind and body. I long to see a world in which mental illness carries as little shame and stigma as a common cold, and that we can all treat one another with greater empathy, compassion and care.
This is the ethos in which I will be teaching my classes. Together we can break these stigmas and create a better world for us all!
