Many in the community are skilled first aiders, but how many of us are skilled at giving first aid for mental health challenges? If you want to improve your skills, you can join a free Mental Health First Aid training course taking place in Mirboo North on Wednesday 12th and Thursday 13th of June.
Why Mental Health First Aid Training is Essential
One of the priorities highlighted most frequently to the Community Recovery working group post storm is the need to support people who have suffered trauma or whose mental health as been impacted by the storm event. While there are mental health services available to our community, reaching out to those services is easier said than done.
Mental Health First Aid training provides ordinary individuals with the knowledge, confidence and practical skills to respond to another adult experiencing mental health challenges. It also helps to reduce stigma and misinformation and to improve open conversation around mental health issues.
This two day course runs from 9.30am to 4.30pm on the 12th and 13th June at the Walter J Tuck Rec Rooms, courtesy of Wellways Australia. The aim of the training is to provide participants with the following:
- the ability to recognise the warning signs of mental health problems in adults,
- the skills to have an open and supportive conversation around mental health or to respond in a crisis,
- with awareness of the supports or assistance that can be accessed.
You may have heard of mental health first aid in relation to the Mirboo North Secondary College, where each year the Year 8s and the Year 10s take the Teen Mental Health First Aid training as part of Live4Life. Related to that there is Youth Mental Health First Aid training, which is a course for parents of carers of young people which has been run in Mirboo North before, but the upcoming course on June 12th and 13th is targeted at adults supporting other adults.
How to Register for the Free Training Course in Mirboo North
These days it is a requirement for many local community organisations whether sport or cultural to have trained first aiders on the ground in the event of a medical issue. Perhaps it is time to include mental health first aid training. Mental ill-health is just as prevalent in the community, though not as visible.
Number of attendees are limited, so please get in touch to register for this training as soon as possible, either by dropping into Co-space or email: recovery@southgippsland.vic.gov.au.