Mental Health First Aid – Armed Forces
Duration: 2 Days
Delivery Method: virtual or face to face
Course Capacity: 16
The Mental Health First Aid – Armed Forces community course, has been developed to meet the needs of the whole Armed Forces community, including: serving personnel, veterans, their families, and people who work with, or support them.
This Course raises awareness and mental health literacy, reduces stigma around mental ill health and boosts knowledge and confidence in dealing with people who maybe struggling. We’ll help you to start a conversation with someone who may be in difficulty to help them get early help and promote a faster recovery.
Course Content
Session 1
- Why MHFA for the armed forces community?
- Military culture
- What is mental health?
- Stigma and discrimination
- Mental health issues
- Violence and the criminal justice system
- The five steps of Mental Health First Aid
Session 2
- Suicide
- Non-judgemental listening skills
- Crisis first aid for suicidal behaviour
- First aid for depression
- Signs and symptoms of depression
- Actions for suicidal behaviour and depression
- Treatment and resources for depression
- Self-care
- Vicarious trauma and burnout
Session 3
- Self-harm
- Eating disorders
- Treatment and resources for self-harm and eating disorders
- What is psychosis?
- Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder
- Symptoms and risk factors for psychosis
- Crisis first aid for acute psychosis
- Treatment and resources for psychosis
Session 4
- What is anxiety?
- When is anxiety a problem?
- Signs and symptoms of anxiety
- Alcohol, drugs and anxiety disorders
- The impact of trauma
- Post traumatic stress disorder
- Crisis first aid for panic attacks
- Crisis first aid for acute stress reaction
- Recovery
- Action planning for using MHFA
Training is delivered over two days in four manageable chunks:
Learning Outcomes
The Mental Health First Aid – Armed Forces course provides an understanding of mental health and the factors that affect wellbeing for the armed forces community. Therefore when you attend the course you will gain:-
Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues,
- Confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress
- Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening
- Knowledge to help someone recover their health by guiding them to further support
- An understanding of the available support and resources, through the MOD, NHS, or supporting charities and agencies