Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid

Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid is a nationally certificated course which is for everyone. Participants do not need any qualifications, previous knowledge or experience to undertake this course and could include managers, volunteers and frontline staff.

SMHFA is a 12 hour course which can be delivered over two days or a series of shorter sessions. It provides an understanding of a range of mental health issues and how these affect people. It will assist participants to recognise when someone might have a problem and how to provide immediate help. It has an emphasis on suicide prevention.

Lived Experience Trainers bring their own expertise in mental health and recovery to help bring the issues around mental health to life.

Mental health problems are much more common than most people think, learn how to:

• Recognise the signs and symptoms of mental health problems.
• Learn skills to help you make a difference in a mental health crisis.
• You could save a life by learning basic suicide intervention skills.
• Provide initial help and signpost people to appropriate professional help.
• Earn what helps promote wellbeing and recovery.
• The knowledge and information is applicable to any setting.

Topics include: attitudes to mental health, recovery, listening skills, depression, suicide, anxiety, psychosis, self-harm, alcohol and drugs, how and where to get help, and looking after our own wellbeing.

‘Useful and interesting, enjoyed it very much,’ Vol Org 2016