Training and awareness
Head First
Head First is North Yorkshire’s first Mental Health Training Hub; it was developed last year and launched in September 2020. This is part of the wider suicide prevention funding, another wave. We were given the money and were told to do what we wanted with it essentially and as we had already a grassroots prevention programme in place, an idea for post-vention and a specific focus on self-harm already we decided to create a training hub, created a budget around this, and here we are just over half a year in.
The Hub works in different ways – we have a training element both direct training courses but also train the trainer packages. We have a news section which highlights local news relating to mental health and wellbeing and then we have our resources section which has recently been categorised so we have resources for children and young people, adults, schools, post-vention and so on. Training we offer currently includes suicide first aid, MHFA, mental health awareness, assessing for suicide in kids and ASIST. We offer MHFA, SafeTALK and ASIST as train the trainer packages.
Headfirst exists for those struggling directly, for organisations needing to train up trainers, for training providers to promote their courses and for organisations to train up volunteers / employees.
Mental Health first Aid training (MHFA)
Mental Health first Aid training (MHFA) is a training program that teaches members of the public how to help a person developing a mental health problem, experiencing a worsening of an existing mental health problem or in a mental health crisis. Like traditional first aid, Mental Health First Aid does not teach people to treat or diagnose mental health or substance use conditions. Instead, the training teaches people how to offer initial support until appropriate professional help is received or until the crisis resolves. While first aid for physical health crises is a familiar notion in developed countries, conventional first aid training has not generally incorporated mental health problems.
Virtual College
Free online course helps parents discuss self-harm with their children:
https://www.virtual-college.co.uk/
SafeTALK
SafeTALK is a half-day alertness training that prepares anyone 15 or older, regardless of prior experience or training, to become a suicide-alert helper. Most people with thoughts of suicide don’t truly want to die, but are struggling with the pain in their lives. Through their words and actions, they invite help to stay alive. safeTALK-trained helpers can recognize these invitations and take action by connecting them with life-saving intervention resources, such as caregivers trained in ASIST. www.livingworks.net/programs/safetalk
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is a two-day interactive workshop in suicide first aid. ASIST teaches participants to recognise when someone may have thoughts of suicide and work with them to create a plan that will support their immediate safety. Although ASIST is widely used by healthcare providers, participants don’t need any formal training to attend the workshop – anyone 16 or older can learn and use the ASIST model. www.livingworks.net/programs/safetalk
North Yorkshire Council Learning Zone
To access community based training in North Yorkshire use http://www.nyclp.org/north-yorkshire-mentalhealth-hub this will include a range of providers delivering both free training and training that may incur a cost.
Zero Suicide Alliance
The #TalkSuicide campaign has been created by the Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership to get rid of the stigma around talking about suicide by raising awareness of free suicide prevention training available from the Zero Suicide Alliance.
The training takes 20 minutes and can help you to:
- Identify the signs of when someone might be suffering from suicidal thoughts and behaviour.
- Feel comfortable speaking out about suicide in a supportive manner.
- Signpost anyone suffering to the correct services and support e.g. Samaritans call 116 123.
Zero Suicide Alliance 25 minute e-training (FREE) https://www.talksuicide.co.uk to take the training.
Health Education England 1.5 hour on-line suicide prevention training (FREE) https://www.hee.nhs.uk/news-blogs-events/news/newhealth-education-england-learning-tool-helphealth-professionals-spot-early-warning-signs
Anna Freud Centre
The Anna Freud Centre provides reasearch, clinical practice, training and policy development
Health Education England
Psychological First Aid training to support children and young people’s mental health during emergencies and crisis situations
Self-Harm and Suicidal Ideation is of many concerns regarding mental health. In terms of the wider issues of mental health there is also the following guidance and training available to support staff and systems:
- MindEd a free educational resource on children and young people’s mental health.
- Paediatric critical care in practice is an online e-learning portal of resources designed for health professionals to use to develop their knowledge.
- Psychological First Aid training to support children and young people’s mental health during emergencies and crisis situations.
- We Can Talk, children and young people’s mental health training, advice and resources for hospital staff.
- RCPCH position statement on role of paediatricians in supporting CYP’s mental health
- RPsych ‘Quality Standards for Children and Young People for Liaison Psychiatry Services’
- RCPCH ‘Facing the Future: standards for children in emergency care settings’
- CYP Eating Disorder guidance
- DHSC ‘Integration and innovation: working together to improve health and social care for all’
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