Scottish Mental Health First Aid Course 

 

Why take the course

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.

 

 

What will I learn on the course?

• How to apply the 5 steps of SMHFA

• How to respond if you believe someone is at risk of suicide.

• How to give immediate help until professional help is available.

• What to say and do in a crisis

• The importance of good listening skills

• Practice listening and responding

• Understanding recovery from mental health problems

• Understanding the connection between mental health problems and alcohol and drugs

• Understanding the connection between mental health problems and discrimination

• Some basic information about common mental health problems

• Self help information

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What happens on a SMHFA course

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The course takes 12 hours and is often run on two separate days. Sometimes it will be in shorter sessions over two, four or six weeks. It is an interesting course that includes different activities, films, discussions and even some fun and laughter. You will get a certificate of attendance and a colourful and interesting manual to take away with you at the end so that you can remind yourself of what you’ve learned. 

The aims of SMHFA are:

• To preserve life.

• To provide help to prevent the mental health problem or crisis developing into a more serious state.

• To promote the recovery of good mental health.

• To provide comfort to a person experiencing distress.

• To promote understanding of mental health issues.

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The course will give you the knowledge to apply these aims in a real life situation.

 

About mental health

Mental health is … ´the emotional and spiritual resilience which allows us to enjoy life and survive pain, disappointment and sadness. It is a positive sense of well-being and an underlying belief in our own, and others, dignity and worth.´ (Health Education Authority 1997)

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What is mental health?

Sometimes people are not sure what mental health is and feel a bit afraid of it. Think about physical health. That doesn’t have the same negative impact does it? Our physical health can be good or poor and it can vary from day to day. When our physical health is good we can enjoy life to the full.

At other times we can be unwell and this can last for weeks or months. Or we might be unwell just for a couple of days then we are back to normal. Sometimes our physical health is poor because we haven’t taken good care of ourselves or because we were born with a tendency to certain illnesses. When we are unwell we are likely to have less energy and motivation and find taking part in work or play more difficult.

All of these things are true of mental health. The main difference between physical and mental health is that our emotions, our ability to work and our relationships are the main things to be influenced by our mental health.

When our mental health is positive we can cope with ups and downs. Our mood is stable and we feel optimistic. When we are mentally unwell we may experience mental or emotional pain. Our mood may be low and we might lose confidence in our ability to cope with life´s challenges. Sometimes we can have long term mental health problems, just as we can get longer lasting physical illnesses... and we can recover in much the same way.

Of course the other big difference is that you can´t get a mental health problem from someone else - it isn´t catching like the flu. Physical and mental health have an effect on each other. If your physical health is poor your mental health is likely to be low. If your mental health is poor you are more likely to get physically ill.

The good news is that you can make a difference to your own mental health. Scotland´s Mental Health First Aid is one of the ways that helps you make a difference to your own and other people´s mental health.

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• Qualification information

• Scottish mental health first aid certificate 

• Course cost – £100 (includes course pack, certificate, relaxation CD and lunch) 

• Contact hours – 12 hours (2 days) 

• Maximum course spaces – 16

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