Mental Health Awareness (An introduction)

This course is designed for support workers new to working in Mental Health or with no previous Mental Health training. The course is also suitable for those working in other areas that need some basic understanding of Mental Health issues e.g. working with service users with Learning Disabilities.
The course can be run over 1, 2 or 3 days, depending on the depth of knowledge required.
The course takes a broad view of Mental Health, including that of the Medical model; however much of the focus is on the Social Model. Person Centred approaches underpin the material.

Learning objectives:

By the end of the course learners should understand:

• What is ‘normal’. Is there such a thing?
• What features of a personality or a phase of a person’s life would lead to them being considered ‘normal’
• If there is such a thing as ‘normal’ there must also be ‘abnormal’
• What features of a personality or a phase of a person’s life would be lead them to be considered ‘abnormal’
• When someone would be considered mentally Ill
• What is meant by a ‘clinical’ diagnosis
• What is meant by a Mental Health need. Just jargon? Does it mean anything?
• A brief overview of the history of Mental Health from Institutional to community based support
• The main types of Mental Illnesses. (Please note that this section will not follow DSM definitions/Diagnosis, but
  rather feature a ‘user friendly’ classification)
        -Personality Disorders
        -Neurosis
        -Psychosis
        -Other “disorders”
• The most common signs and symptoms of:
        -Reactive Depression
        -Endogenous Depression
        -Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
        -Phobic Disorder
        -Anxiety Disorder
        -Bipolar Disorder
        -Schizophrenia
• What help/treatment is available for people who are acutely ill
• The role of medication
• The major routes of medication
• The main types of medication and their side effects*
• What help and support is available after the acute phase
• Support in the community: what are the helpful features?
• How people with Mental Health needs are stigmatised
• How to ensure people are valued and treated with dignity and respect
• How to ensure that people make their own life choices and are supported in doing so
• Self help:
        -Getting involved and empowerment
        -The role of advocates and advocacy movements
• The main functions of the Mental Health Act and the Mental Capacity Act*

Training methods:

• Tutor presentations
• Discussion in large groups
• Small group work
• Chalk & talk
• OHP/PowerPoint presentations
• Pairs work
• Word storm method
• Handouts

* 2 & 3 day courses only

CP53/4.9