Scottish Mental Health First Aid

This open course is run in partnership with Outfit Moray and welcomes bookings from other Moray third sector organisations. We are delighted to deliver this course at the beautiful Greenbrae Steading in Cummingston. Please visit their website for information on directions and parking.

COURSE INFORMATION:

Scotland's Mental Health First Aid (SMHFA)

This 2 day course, accredited by NHS Health Scotland, aims to give participants the tools to help support mental health and support others in crisis. This course is delivered by accredited Moray Wellbeing Hub Champions who use their professional skills as facilitators alongside lived and living expeinces of life challenges. 

Why train in SMHFA?

• Become more confident in a mental health crisis.
• Recognise when a person may need help and appropriately approach them.
• Save lives by learning basic suicide intervention skills.
• Protect your own mental health and wellbeing.
• Feel more confident in support and leadership roles.
• Gain a recognised qualification toward your personal and professional development.

The course does not train people to be mental health workers nor is it designed as therapy. It offers basic general information about mental health problems, such as common medical terms, as well as exploring recovery. The knowledge presented, and understanding developed in the course, helps to remove stigma and to give confidence in approaching a person in distress.

Mental Health First Aid has been rigorously evaluated in Scotland. Participants reported a range of benefits to their own and others mental health.

What does the course cover?

• guidance on being a Mental Health First Aider
• attitudes to mental health issues
• equalities
• recovery in mental health
• the impact of alcohol and drugs on mental health
• introduction to suicide intervention
• listening skills
• understanding depression, anxiety and psychosis, and how to offer first aid to someone experiencing symptoms of these conditions

FAQs:

What makes Moray Wellbeing Hub courses different? Real life experiences: We believe in harnessing the power of life experiences, taking what can be challenging and abstract concepts and make it more 'real', practically useful and easier to relate to for participants. Wherever possible our courses are delivered by peer-trainers, people who know the approaches and experiences first hand from their own life.

Keeping it local: Moray has a wealth of support and education organisations in wellbeing. Our courses are delivered for the benefit of the Moray community and therefore endeavour to help our participants build sustainable links beyond any course; resources they can signpost to and access in Moray. Wherever possible we will use local trainers, venues and resources, as well as promote and deliver our courses in mutual partnership with all sizes of local organisations.

Cancellations and refunds: If you need to cancel your booking and give more than 28 days’ notice, we will refund 50% of your fee or, wherever possible, rebook you on to another course for no extra cost. If due to unforeseen circumstances we have to change the course date, and it is not suitable for you, we will refund 100% of the payment.

Why is there a charge and why do these rates sometimes change? Moray Wellbeing Hub is a social enterprise, our team of trainers are paid both through funding like grants and from ticket sales. Grants and support from local partners, such as giving free venues, can subsidise the cost of a course, but we always aim to charge something our courses even if it is just £5 as a refundable fee.

We want people to value mental health courses just like they value going to the cinema or the gym or even a college course. People tend not to value free courses in the same way as paid for courses and may not turn up on the day. This can make accessing resources like funding more challenging for us in the future and sustainability is important for Moray's future mental wealth.
 

INFORMATION:

• Early registration recommended to prevent disappointment.
• Registration essential as part of following Scottish Government protocol around COVID19 for activity.