A course designed to provide skills for recognising mental health issues while also having the ability to steer the affected person towards appropriate help has been given a boost with a new scholarship through the Emmanuel Centre.
The self-help centre, run for and by people with disabilities, their families and those who work with people with disabilities, is encouraging interested persons to apply to study the Mental Health First Aid course.
Emmanuel Centre Co-ordinator Barbara Harris said when it comes to mental health, many people are very reluctant to come forward, often because they just don’t know what to do.
“In our everyday lives, there are people around us whose lives are like a car accident, through broken relationships, breakdown of physical health, loss of jobs and death of a loved one, just as an example,” she said.
“This course teaches adults how to assist other adults and family members who are experiencing or developing a mental health crisis.”
Participants learn the signs and symptoms of mental health problems, as well as where and how to find help that has been shown by research to be effective.
Barbara Harris said that completion of the course does not qualify participants as a psychiatrist, psychologist or counsellor.
Barbara continued by saying that it is the vision of the Emmanuel Centre that there will be at least one person in every parish who has been trained in Mental Health First Aid, with the Emmanuel Centre providing ongoing support both for the Mental Health First Aid volunteer and for the parish priest.
Completion of the course enables participants to become part of the Catholic Mental Health Support group for further learning and development. The group meets every two months on a Saturday morning to share experiences and learn new ways of helping oneself and others.
“Others who have completed the Mental Health First Aid course are ordinary folk, some with university degrees and others with degrees from the school of life,” she said.
“So far we have trained 38 people who are now available in their parishes. In our last training course, we even had a parish priest complete the course.”
Applications for the next course will close on Friday, 6 February 2015 and places are limited.
The course commences on Saturday, 21 February and will continue on Saturday, 7 March from 9am to 4pm.
For more information and an application form, please contact Barbara Harris at the Emmanuel Centre, 25 Windsor Street, Perth or telephone 08 9328 8113 or email emmanuelcentre@westnet.com.au.