Learning to assist youth with mental health problems
Last week 12 more people were trained as Youth Mental Health First Aiders, who can now assist our youth who might be developing mental health problems or who might be in crisis.
The 14-hour Youth Mental Health First Aid Course is for adults who work, live or care for adolescents, such as school staff, parents, sports coaches, community group leaders and youth workers.
On Thursday and Friday, 8th and 9th October 12 people from across various sectors in our region, attended a free Youth Mental health First Aid course held at the RSL club.
They learnt how to look for signs and symptoms related to depression, anxiety, eating disorders, psychosis and substance use. Partipcants also learnt appropriate skills to have conversations with youth who might be in crisis, being able to help those who might be suicidal or engaging in self harm behaviours.
Early intervention is really important factor to ensure better outcomes for our youth who might be having difficulties with their mental health, and this course teaches adults to be able to assist.
“Feedback from this course was very positive and partipcants said they were feeling much more confident to be able to look for signs and symptoms, that a young person might be becoming unwell. Knowing what to say and how to engage in a helpful conversation to encourage help-seeking behaviours, gives them the confidence to enter into these conversations with young people” , Mrs Liebenberg, course facilitator of the YMHFA said.
“It is sometimes really difficult to distinguish between normal teenage behaviours and early onset of mental health problems, and this course helps adults to be able make this distinction, or at least to have a conversation to see if there might be a problem”.
This activity was made possible with funding from the Murrumbidgee MPHN’s Murrumbidgee Youth Grant. The RSL also generously supports the work of Deni MHAG to bring these trainings to Deniliquin, as does the Pastoral Times by promoting it to the community.
Deniliquin Mental health Awareness Group regularly seeks funding opportunities to deliver this training to our community.
Visit www.denimentalhealth.org.au or like the Deni MHAG Facebook page to see regular event information and opportunities to get involved.
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