Course Information

To open the course we talk about what Mental Health is, what can affect it, why awareness is needed and some of the vital statistics to give our learners a thorough grounding of the subject.

Whilst everyone is at risk of deteriorating mental health, it is prudent to be aware of the communities that are more at risk of poor mental health and what specialist support is available to those communities.

Whilst it is fantastic that we are for the first time really talking and opening up about mental health, our biggest obstacle to people seeking and receiving help is the poor attitudes towards those who struggle with their mental health.

Certifi Training has developed a simple and memorable technique in approaching someone who may be struggling with poor mental health. We call this our SOS Strategy.

Whilst it is not the place for a Mental Health First Aider to diagnose mental health conditions - it is important to have a thorough grounding in the common mental health conditions that exist.

Those who self harm or take their own life, on the whole do not want to hurt themselves or end their life ... they want the pain to end. We discuss what Self Harm and Suicide are, how to recognize at an early stage and what action to take.

We look generally at what signs and symptoms you might be able to recognize that someone is struggling with their Mental Health.

The biggest worries our trainers hear from students hear from learners are "I don't know what I would say?" and "What if I make it worse?". We put these worries to bed by discussing some simple techniques we can use to open an inital conversation with someone.

As a Mental Health First Aider, we are not there to treat someone long-term for their mental health condition. We are neither counselors or Mental Healthcare Professionals; however we are the vital link to those who can help. We talk about mental health services and how to signpost people towards them.