Information about mental health first aid courses in Plymouth

Transcription

1 Information about mental health first aid courses in Plymouth

2 Contents Page What is Mental Health First Aid? 1 Why do we need MHFA? 1 Where does MHFA come from? 1 Does MHFA work? 2 How will you benefit? 2 About the Programmes 3 MHFA 3 Youth MHFA 3 MHFA Lite 4 MHFA for the Armed Forces Community Project 4 MHFA Award 4 Who should attend? 5 How many people should do MHFA? 5 How much does it cost? 5 Who delivers the course? 5 Training for Trainers - MHFA 6 About the MHFA Trainers in Plymouth 6 Plymouth Mental Health and Wellbeing Training Forum 6 MHFA Tune Up 6 MHFA Courses now available in Plymouth 7 Book a Course! 7 Plymouth MHFA Evaluation 7 Further Information 7

3 What is Mental Health First Aid? Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is the help given to an injured person before medical treatment can be obtained. MHFA is the help provided to a person developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis. The first aid is given until appropriate treatment is received or until the crisis resolves. Why do we need MHFA? The most common and disabling mental health problems are depression, anxiety disorders and psychotic disorders. Mental health problems are very common. In any one year about one in four adults experience a mental health problem. Many people suffer a mental ill health for a long time before they seek help. Furthermore, alcohol and drug problems frequently occur with depression, anxiety and psychosis. MHFA provides a great opportunity to get talking about mental health and well-being and begin to take our shared understanding forward within our work and indeed home life. Where does MHFA come from? MHFA was developed in Australia in 2000 and is now internationally recognised in twenty one countries. MHFA was initially brought to England from Australia in 2006 as a programme within the Department of Health, the subsequent formation of MHFA England as a Community Interest Company in September 2009 has helped ensure our independent sustainability. MHFA England CIC train instructors across England and develop new courses, while continually updating current materials to ensure their continued relevance. MHFA England's social objective is to increase the mental health literacy of the whole population, our aim being to train one in ten of every adult in England, thus increasing confidence, addressing stigma and improving the chances of early intervention. To date, there are over 650 Trainers and 110 Youth Instructors in England who have delivered the MHFA course to over 55,000 people. In Plymouth we have three MHFA Trainers and two MHFA Lite Trainers with four more people due to be trained in MHFA and MHFA Youth the by Spring By October 2013 we have delivered 8 MHFA courses to and 2 MHFA Lite courses to 76 people living and working in Plymouth. 1

4 Does MHFA Work? The evidence base for MHFA is substantive (three international and 15 national evaluations) and can be accessed at Research shows that there is a significant gap between the number of patients who seek treatment and the people who actually need it. The same research shows that the group of people who don t get help for their illness increase the severity of their illness and thereby the overall costs of mental illness (Kohn, R., Saxena, S., Levav I. and Saraceno, B. (2004). The treatment gap in mental health care. Bulletin of the World Health Organisation. 82, pp Early intervention has a proven impact on depression, anxiety, psychosis and for people with substance abuse. Two recent research studies from England show the effectiveness of MHFA interventions with flood victims and with the emergency fire services and Evaluation of Mental Health First Aid Training for Flood Recovery Workers (Robson and Bostock 05/10). Promoting mental health: concepts, emerging evidence, practice : report of the World Health Organisation, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse in collaboration with the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation and the University of Melbourne / [editors: Helen Herrman, Shekhar Saxena, Rob Moodie] The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) has accredited both the Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid instructor training programmes. How will you benefit? Mental health problems, particularly anxiety and depression, are the biggest cause of sickness absence at work. Improving awareness and understanding of common mental health problems and how to support colleagues can reduce sickness absence and reduce stigma. While people often know a lot about common physical health problems, there is widespread ignorance of mental health problems. This ignorance adds to stigmatising attitudes and prevents people from seeking help early and seeking the best sort of help. It also prevents people providing appropriate support to colleagues and family members, simply because they do not know how. 2

5 MHFA Programmes MHFA MHFA is a 12-hour intensive course, usually delivered over 2 days. The course does not train you to be a therapist, counsellor or mental health professional but it does provide an overview of common mental health problems, causes, symptoms and treatments, and teaches people how to: Spot the early signs of a mental health problem Feel confident helping someone experiencing a problem Deal with a crisis situation or the first signs of someone developing mental ill health on a first aid basis Help prevent someone from hurting themselves or others Preserve life where a person may be a danger to themselves or others Help stop a mental illness from getting worse Help someone recover faster Guide someone towards the right support Reduce the stigma of mental health problems The course also teaches ALGEE - a unique memory tool for conducting mental health first aid Course Outline Youth MHFA Youth MHFA was designed specifically for those people that teach, work, live with or care for young people aged The Youth MHFA course in England was adapted for use in England, with permission, from the original course in Australia. The training provides information, tools and techniques to promote a young person's mental and emotional wellbeing and to enable participants to support a young person who might be experiencing mental and emotional distress. The Youth MHFA course will teach you how to: Spot the early signs of a mental health problem in young people Feel confident helping a young person experiencing a problem Provide help on a first aid basis Help protect a young person who might be at risk of harm Help prevent a mental health illness from getting worse Help a young person recover faster Guide a young person towards the right support Reduce the stigma of mental health problems The course also teaches ALGEE - a unique memory tool for conducting mental health first aid 3

6 MHFA Lite MHFA Lite is a 3 hour introductory mental health awareness course that can be delivered to up to 25 people. Because of its short duration it is not meant as a substitute for the full MHFA course. The aims and objectives of the course include: Enabling participants to: Gain a wider understanding, for themselves and others, of some issues surrounding mental health Gain a greater understanding of how and why positive and negative mental health affects business Work more effectively with people experiencing mental health problems By the end of the course participants will be able to: Identify the discrimination surrounding mental health problems Define mental health & some mental health problems Relate to people's experiences Help support people with mental health problems Begin developing a business case for promoting positive mental health in the workplace Look after their own mental health The course also introduces ALGEE - a unique memory tool for conducting mental health first aid MHFA for the Armed Forces Community Project The Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) for the Armed Forces Community project is designed to provide the basis for increased mental health resilience amongst veterans and the families of both veterans and serving personnel throughout the UK. SSAFA (the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association) is delivering the project in a collaborative partnership between themselves, MHFA England CIC, Combat Stress and the Royal British Legion. Click here to find out more. MHFA Award The MHFA course is accredited by the Open College Network (3 credits at Level 3 on completion of a workbook). By the end of the course each participant will be trained to practice as a Mental Health First Aider. 4

7 Who should attend? The MHFA programme is targeted at raising mental health awareness literacy in the general public as well as some key groups of people include those who work in front line services and within communities in Plymouth where we know more people have poorer health and experience more mental health problems. This includes primary health care and social care, staff in further and higher education, support workers in a variety of settings, voluntary and community groups, ambulance service, police forces and prison service, Job Centre Plus staff, and other workplaces. How many people should do MHFA? Recommended MHFA Standards currently being developed: 8-10 of each of the courses per year with 20 max per course so participants Minimum of 12 places filled to proceed with course (10 on the day) 1 or 2 trainers for 2 day course dependent on experience Partnership Programme Delivery MHFA essential for Livewell staff MHFA essential for all non- professionally affiliated front line health/social care/community staff (TBC) As recommended by MHFA England - MHFA (or MHFA Youth) for one in ten staff/ members of every organisation/community group (TBC) All courses have substantial evidenced base and accredited to MHFA England Participants free registration/membership to Winning Ways to Mental Health and Wellbeing training participants support and on-going learning zone. Participants free subscription to Plymouth Wise PMHN Magazine How much does it cost? The MHFA provided by PCH Livewell is subsidised but the following costs apply: MHFA MHFA Lite TBC TBC Who delivers the course? The course can only be delivered by a specially selected, trained and approved person. This ensures that all Mental Health First Aid Trainers have the required level of knowledge, skills and experience, that there is consistency in delivery across Wales and that the quality of the delivery of the course can be monitored. In Plymouth, PCH Livewell Team has been commissioned to manage, train and provide on-going support and CPD for four trainers to deliver MHFA. 5

8 Training for Trainers MHFA Find out more by contacting Sue Hall About the MHFA Trainers in Plymouth All have previous experience of delivering training, and have undertaken training to become accredited trainers for MHFA England. Plymouth Community Healthcare LivewellTeam, Plymouth Mind and Plymouth Guild deliver MHFA as part of their commitment to the promoting the mental health and wellbeing and preventing suicide in Plymouth in partnership. Plymouth Mental Health and Wellbeing Trainers Forum The forum was established in September 2012 with the aim to develop and deliver a MHWB awareness and education programme (including Mental Health First Aid, MHFA Lite, MHFA Youth, IBA and ASIST) within Plymouth as a partnership to key organisations, local communities and high risk groups to improve the mental health literacy and support for people who may be experiencing emotional distress and to provide professional support and consultation to optimise and ensure best practice. The Forum also supports the on-going support and development of the trainers. Find out more by contacting Sue Hall shall18@nhs.net MHFA Tune Up MHFA Tune Up is currently being developed with the intention for delivery commencing in December MHFA Tune Up will be designed as a refresher opportunity for people who have already completed MHFA. It is intended that MHFA Tune Up will aim to review the key concepts and skills that participants learned in MHFA, including examining attitudes to mental illness, and the use of the ALGEE model. MHFA Tune Up will also provide participants an opportunity to reflect on their experiences of using the MHFA model, share this with other MHFA-trained community members and reacquaint themselves with resources and networks available to them. MHFA participants will access free registration/membership to Winning Ways to Mental Health and Wellbeing training participants support and on-going learning zone and a free subscription to Plymouth Wise PMHN Magazine 6

9 MHFA Courses now available in Plymouth MHFA See Mental Health and Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention Training Programme MHFA Lite See Mental Health and Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention Training Programme MHFA Youth See MHFA England Tune Up See Mental Health and Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention Training Programme Book a Course! Details TBC Plymouth MHFA Evaluation Pre course, Post course and follow-up feedback and evaluation to: Ascertain impact of learning understanding, knowledge and skills Influence and measure changes in behaviour and attitudes Test validity of learning Measure Livewell MHWB/SP and Livewell service outcomes Support programme sustainability A Course Evaluation Annual Report will be published at the end of each financial year. Further Information If you'd like any information relating to MHFA in Plymouth please contact ring the MHFA Training Programme Manager, (Sue Hall on shall18@nhs.net) or one of the MHFA trainers. You can also find out more about MHFA at 7

10 By Sue Hall, Public Mental Health Manager, Livewell Team, Plymouth Community Healthcare, ASIST Leaflet author, editor and producer. And Debbie Roche Plymouth Mental Health Network Co-ordinator, Co- producer, Version 2 S( ) 8