Mental Health Training Courses

Mental Health Training is growing in popularity

Mental health courses are growing in popularity because the effects of poor mental health are being increasingly recognised. This explosion in the courses being offered leads to questions about the quality and value of the courses.

Read our quick guide to understand the true value of a training course. When you’re finished, you’ll be ready to pick the best course for your organisation.

Six Top Benefits of Mental Health Courses

We believe in support for everyone in the workplace. We say, “Look after your people and they will look after you.” Investing in training will be a net gain for your organisation. Here are our top 6 reasons why Mental Health Training  should be an investment priority for everyone:

Greater Access To Support

Sadly, about 70-75% of people with a mental illness or concern receive no advice, support,or help. Offering training and fostering awareness in your organisation can help these people discuss their health and find support.

First Aid Becomes Available To More People

The overriding aim of all first aid courses, mental and physical health is to preserve life and assess the need of urgent medical attention. Support from a mental health first aider can make all the difference in the world to someone experiencing depression, anxiety, or overwhelming stress.

More Services For Employees

Staff members and volunteers can gain access to free education and support through training courses. Graduates who complete training courses become points of contact in your organisation and offer face-to-face help to others.

New Skills To Advance Your Careear

Imagine being able to add MHFA to your CV as a skill when you’re looking for your next position. Extra skills are how you can bring maximum value to your current position and any future roles you want to apply for to move your career on a bit.

Employer Meet Government Best Practive Standards

Employers are now subject to growing pressure to provide free mental care for their staff. These courses can help companies put plans in place to help the groups of people in each workplace.

Reduce Costs In The Workplace Training

One of our favourite statistics is this: Every £1 invested in training and support saves companies an average of £5 on the cost of lost productivity, sickness leave, and turnover.

What Is A Mental Health Training Course?

A mental health course is a short course designed to give learners knowledge and practical skills to improve outcomes. These courses are not the same as a university degree or a course designed to lead to a professional qualification. Instead, they focus on adult learners, organisation leaders, and continuing professional development. Most providers offer courses in person, delivered online, or a mixture of both.

What Types of Training Courses Are There?

There are dozens of course names, titles, and descriptions. However, there are only three or four main types of mental health courses. The differences between the courses come from the points each course covers. Let’s talk about the three main types of courses offered by many providers. We’ll highlight the focal point of each course as we go along.

Mental Health Awareness Course

The awareness course is the broadest. It covers many common mental health issues. These kinds of courses aim to foster conversation, break down the stigma surrounding mental illness, and serve as the first step towards more specific training.

Focal Point: General training aimed to create more conversations and raise awareness.

Mental Health First Aid Course (MHFA)

MHFA courses are more specific because they focus on helping people at the point of crisis. A mental health first aid course will go into more depth about the signs and symptoms of many mental health conditions. Students will learn new skills and develop the knowledge of exactly what to do when a crisis begins to develop.

Focal Point: Practical training which teaches people how to identify, understand and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue by following an action plan.

Line Manager Mental Health Training Course

Line manager courses focus on mental health and mental illness in the workplace. They help develop an understanding of mental illness and how to support someone experiencing a mental health issue in the work environment. The course usually covers how to open up conversations about mental health, organise ongoing support, and signpost employees to external services to improve their mental wellbeing.

Focal Point: Leadership training designed for those with a responsibility for managing teams

What do you learn on a Mental Health Training Course?

Every course covers a range of topics and subjects around mental stability. We can break these different subjects down into three different categories.

Awareness of Mental Health Issues

Awareness of adult and young people’s mental health is the first place many courses begin. Breaking down the stigma surrounding mental disorders and developing a general understanding of mental health are two key outcomes.

Knowledge About Specific Mental Illnesses

There are over 200 classified forms of mental illness. No course will cover all these. Instead, courses will cover common mental health conditions. These include:

• Eating Disorders
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Bipolar Disorder
• Psychotic Disorders

Specific courses focus on young people’s mental health because the challenges facing children and young people differ from adult mental health.

Often, the focus in these information sessions is on how to identify risk factors, emerging symptoms, and changes in behaviour that could indicate an approaching crisis.

Practical Skills to Improve Mental Wellbeing

Every course should offer a skills development segment. Professionals can develop their active listening, learn how to respond compassionately to someone in distress, and give simple advice to those who are experiencing mental health issues. These are not “counselling” courses, but training groups often provide the first steps students can use to provide support to others.

Who are training Courses for?

These short programmes are designed for anyone, but most courses focus on professionals who are expanding their understanding of mental health in the workplace.

Training for the workplace expands the skills employees offer to their companies. Increased access to mental health support also benefits organisations because poor mental health is costly.

Most training programmes do not require prior knowledge and are open to professionals, regardless of qualification.

Do You Need Prior Knowledge or Training?

No, most courses do not require any prior knowledge or training. If you’re interested in a course and haven’t completed any mental health training, then we suggest you look at an awareness course as a first choice.

These general courses will give you an opportunity to discuss mental health with other professionals, review the other training you may want to access, and help you understand how you can contribute to mental health in your workplace.

Do They Count as Continuing Professional Development (CPD)?

Mental health certifications count as CPD. Course providers can offer advice on which courses to choose for CPD purposes. Larger organisations often organise in-house training to develop groups of people with a qualification in mental health awareness or first aid.

How Much Do Training Courses Cost?

Talkout’s training courses start at £125 per person. This covers all course materials and provides a certificate for students who successfully complete the course.

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