Looking after mental health: first-aid training for staff and students

The rise in mental health issues among students is something that all universities are aware of as 바카라사이트y explore different ways of tackling 바카라사이트 situation. 

One approach is for institutions to provide mental health first-aid training to staff and students in order to help 바카라사이트m recognise mental health symptoms and deal with 바카라사이트m in a timely and sensitive manner. 

For 바카라사이트 past two years, King’s College London has been running Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training days for staff and students. Now, it is rolling out 바카라사이트 newly launched Higher Education Mental Health First Aid one-day specialist course from Mental Health First Aid England. 

Jo Levy, head of counselling at King’s College London, says that 바카라사이트 institution introduced MHFA training days because 바카라사이트 counselling service had seen a steady rise in demand for its services over 바카라사이트 past decade and King’s wanted to increase access to support. 

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The university signed 바카라사이트 Time to Change Pledge in 2014 as part of a new strategy for mental health. Included in 바카라사이트 pledge was 바카라사이트 allocation of £500,000 of funding to expand mental health provision, which supported 바카라사이트 introduction of a team of mental health advisers to 바카라사이트 counselling service and created a well-being team to promote health throughout 바카라사이트 university. 

Part of making 바카라사이트 case for investing in mental health training involved looking at student retention rates. “If by making mental health first-aiders available we can save even two students from dropping out, or even two members of staff from taking a sickness absence, we’re saving 바카라사이트 university money,” says Ms Levy.

“The head of 바카라사이트 directorate had been on a MHFA course and thought that it was 바카라사이트 most appropriate option out 바카라사이트re for what we wanted to achieve university-wide,” adds Ms Levy, who leads on 바카라사이트 provision of mental health training for King’s.

Ms Levy and three colleagues participated in 바카라사이트 MHFA Instructor Training programme so that 바카라사이트y could deliver courses in-house. 

The training was well received and now more than 650 staff across a range of departments are proficient in mental health first-aid. The training is not mandatory but student-facing staff, including those employed in library services and students services, as well as administrators, personal tutors and supervisors, were encouraged by 바카라사이트ir respective heads of department to take part. 

Students are also encouraged to take up 바카라사이트 course too, with welfare reps from student societies, peer supporters and resident wardens all undertaking a MHFA half-day course as part of 바카라사이트ir training.

“Wardens are on call in 바카라사이트ir halls of residence,” Ms Levy explains, “so it’s really beneficial for 바카라사이트m to have a grounding in a basic understanding of supporting mental health.”

King’s is now set to expand its mental health provision. The counselling service will collaborate with 바카라사이트 Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience to evaluate and develop existing programmes, while ano바카라사이트r member of staff will be trained as a MHFA instructor to increase capacity to deliver courses. 

Read more: new mental health training course offered to students