Scottish Mental Health First Aid

Why take the course?

This course is designed for everyone. It is interesting and varied and most participants tell us that they enjoyed it very much.

Five good reasons to attend SMHFA:

Most people don’t know what to do in a mental health crisis. Take the course and you will be one of the few who knows what to do and is confident about putting that knowledge into action.
You will learn how to recognise when a person might need help and the best way to approach them.
You could save a life by learning basic suicide intervention skills.
You will learn what protects your own and other people’s mental health.
You will learn new skills that are useful in every part of your life

Mental Health problems are not as frightening as most people think.

When a person has a mental health problem what they need most is someone who can:

listen calmly to their feelings and fears
give some simple information
tell them where to get appropriate help

It doesn’t sound too difficult does it?

This course is for everyone and participants use the skills they learn in all settings.

What will I learn on the course?

How to apply the 5 steps of SMHFA
How to respond if you believe someone is at risk of suicide.
How to give immediate help until professional help is available.
What to say and do in a crisis
The importance of good listening skills
Practice listening and responding
Understanding recovery from mental health problems
Understanding the connection between mental health problems and alcohol and drugs
Understanding the connection between mental health problems and discrimination
Some basic information about common mental health problems
Self help information

What happens on a SMHFA course?

The course takes 12 hours and is often run on two separate days. Sometimes it will be in shorter sessions over two, four or six weeks.

It is an interesting course that includes different activities, films, discussions and even some fun and laughter.
You will get a certificate of attendance and a colourful and interesting manual to take away with you at the end so that you can remind yourself of what you’ve learned.

The aims of SMHFA are:

To preserve life.
To provide help to prevent the mental health problem or crisis developing into a more serious state.
To promote the recovery of good mental health.
To provide comfort to a person experiencing distress.
To promote understanding of mental health issues.

The course will give you the knowledge to apply these aims in a real life situation.