Organised by: Delivering Inclusion Network
Venue: Hulme, Manchester
Report by: Rob Squires, Network Co-ordinator - Third Sector
I have just undertaken two days of very interesting training on mental health first aid. I decided to do the training in order for me to have better understanding of the mental wellbeing work that is going on across the Target: Wellbeing portfolio. Also living in an inner city area where mental health issues are in your face, I thought it would be useful on a day to day basis. At the start of the course I was apprehensive that because I was not a frontline mental health worker, I might be a little out of my depth. As it turned out, my life experiences, and a general interest in psychology, set me up quite well for the experience. I was also reassured to find out that the training is designed for the public as much as for front line workers. The majority of folk on the course are working on the front line, and it was an inspiring experience meeting and talking to them.The Mental Health First Aid training is new to this country, and the course was delivered by the Delivering Inclusion Network, which in Manchester is a partnership of third sector providers, including HARP, Mind, and the Roby. HARP are the delivery organisation behind Bite, which is part of the Target: Wellbeing Programme. The trainers were Rowena Pyott from Bite, and Graham Hayes, who is a service user, and works for Mind in Manchester, and it was very useful to get first hand accounts from him.
The training itself gives an overview of general mental health issues, including depression, anxiety disorders, and psychosis. (More information can be found on their website.) It provides you with the knowledge to be able to assess problems at an early stage, and make useful interventions. I will definitely be recommending the training to other Target: Wellbeing projects in the future, if it is repeated, and will help to promote it on our new website when it goes live.
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