Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid Training (SMHFA)

Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid Training (SMHFA)

This course is designed for everyone. It is interesting and varied and most participants tell us that they enjoyed it very much.

Five good reasons to attend SMHFA:

1. Most people don’t know what to do in a mental health crisis. Take the course and you will be one of the few who knows what to do and is confident about putting that knowledge into action.
2. You will learn how to recognise when a person might need help and the best way to approach them.
3. You could save a life by learning basic suicide intervention skills.
4. You will learn what protects your own and other people’s mental health.
5. You will learn new skills that are useful in every part of your life

Mental Health problems are not as frightening as most people think. When a person has a mental health problem what they need most is someone who can:

• listen calmly to their feelings and fears
• give some simple information
• tell them where to get appropriate help

It doesn’t sound too difficult does it?  This course is for everyone and participants use the skills they learn in all settings.

This course is over two full days 9am on to 4.30pm on Monday 25 September 2023 & Tuesday 26 September 2023.  The venue for the course will be The St Magnus Centre, Palace Road, Kirkwall .  The course is validated through Public Health Scotland and is not available virtually.  The trainer for this event is Tina McGuff, an experienced Mental Health trainer based in Tayside.

I attach the programme for the two days for your information.  Should you wish to attend please discuss and seek approval from your line manager and include the course in your personal development plans.  Email learn.develop@orkney.gov.uk with your name, employee number, post title and workbase.  Your place will be confirmed on receipt of an outlook meeting maker from learn.develop@orkney.gov.uk

Scottish Mental Health First Aid 

Trainer - Tina McGuff 

Day 1 

Intro to SMHFA – 30 minutes - 9.30 -10am 

Attitudes - 1 hour - 10 – 11am 

Break – 15 minutes 

Recovery – 30 minutes – 11.15-11.45am 

Alcohol and Drugs – 30 minutes 11.45-12.15 

Lunch – 1 hour 12.15 – 1.15pm 

Suicide – 1 hour 1.15 – 2.15pm 

Listening skills – 1 hour – 2.15 – 3.15pm 

Break – 15 minutes 

Self-harm – 1 hour – 3.30 – 4.30pm 

Scottish Mental Health First Aid 

Trainer – Tina McGuff 

DAY 2 

Check in – 15 minutes – 9.30 -9.45 

Depression – 2 hours – 9.45 – 11.45pm (break in-between) 

Lunch – 45 minutes 11.45 – 12.30 

Anxiety – 2 hours – 12.30 – 2.30 

Break – 15 minutes 

Psychosis – 2 hours – 2.45 – 4.30 

Please note that there are limited places available on this course and depending on uptake we may have to prioritise places across the Services, we do hope to be in a position to offer this course more regularly in future.

It is our intention to create an employee network focussing on mental health. The skills you develop on this course will be welcome in the creation and running of this network. I will forward details on this network soon.

If you line manager employees who do not have access to emails, please share this opportunity as soon as possible with them.

Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries.

Many Thanks
Sorcha

Sorcha Woodrow
Learning and Development Adviser